By Bob Allen Four Baptists in Belarus paid fines after losing appeals for holding worship services without government permission. Forum 18, an international news service that specializes in religious-freedom issues, reported that Pastor Aleksandr Zolotarev, arrested in a Dec. 22…
SBC ethicist tight with Catholics, Mormons on shared public policy concerns
By Bob Allen The Southern Baptist Convention’s top spokesman for public policy said March 5 that in his first months on the job he is working closely with his Mormon and Roman Catholic counterparts on religious-liberty concerns. “These days, anyway,…
Declining attendance prompts call to merge BWA’s congress, youth conference
By Robert Dilday Dwindling attendance at both the Baptist World Alliance’s world congress and youth conference has prompted a proposal to merge the two international meetings, held every five years though not simultaneously. BWA general secretary Neville Callam told the…
More Louisiana College documents emerge
By Bob Allen Louisiana College trustees are working on a contract extension for President Joe Aguillard, according to the Town Talk newspaper in Alexandria, La., even as new documents emerged alleging that Aguillard’s office submitted papers with forged signatures to…
Baptist disaster officials tackle cooperation, volunteer background checks
By Jeff Brumley Baptist disaster-response leaders from around the nation gathered near Philadelphia Wednesday and Thursday to hammer out how they can improve interdenominational coordination and swap best practices when ministering to communities impacted by catastrophe. Members of the North…
Moldovan who fights human trafficking to receive BWA human rights award
By Robert Dilday Ilie Coada, a Moldovan who has spent his career fighting human trafficking, is this year’s recipient of the Baptist World Alliance’s human rights award, the organization announced March 5. The Denton and Janice Lotz Human Rights Award…
Attitudes among Southern Baptist leaders shifting on birth control
Editor’s note: This article was corrected March 11 to clarify a quote in 14th paragraph. By Bob Allen On the surface, Roman Catholics and Southern Baptists might seem unlikely bedfellows in opposing mandated coverage of contraceptives under Obamacare, but observers…
Southern Baptist Convention’s abortion stance moving toward birth control issues
By Bob Allen Once essentially pro-choice, the Southern Baptist Convention today stands firmly with pro-life evangelicals and Catholics on sanctity-of-life issues, including opposition to mandated coverage of contraceptives in the Affordable Care Act. Southern Baptist attorney Linda Coffee wrote a…
Missouri church helps African immigrants put aside tribal differences
By Vicki Brown Africa is a large continent, with a variety of terrain — from desert to lush jungle to towering mountains — and a diversity of people and languages — from French to English to tribal tongues. As African…
Baptist, Catholic urge new religious freedom envoy
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist official and a Roman Catholic bishop signed a joint letter March 4 asking two U.S. senators to allow a vote on a bill that would create and fund a new envoy to promote religious…
Ethicist says gun giveaway shifts focus of church event from hunting to politics
By Bob Allen A moderate Baptist ethicist faulted Kentucky Baptists’ method of giving away guns to lure unchurched men to outreach events for politicizing wild game feasts that have been popular in rural America for decades. “There is no conflict…
Baptist, Methodist pastors in Miss. oppose discrimination based on religious freedom
By Bob Allen Five Baptist and Methodist pastors have sent an open letter urging Mississippi legislators to defeat a bill, similar to one recently vetoed by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, that is headed for the House of Representatives for debate…