By Bob Allen The sister and mother of an American imprisoned in North Korea accepted an invitation to attend Tuesday’s State of the Union address in hopes of raising awareness about efforts to win his release. Earlier in the day,…
At Samford, unexpected snowfall spurs help for stranded students, employees
By Robert Dilday When a winter storm dumped more snow than expected on Birmingham, Ala., Jan. 28-29, students and staff at Samford University stepped in to assist several hundred people stranded on campus by slushy streets and traffic gridlock. Tuesday’s…
ERLC supports Hobby Lobby in Supreme Court brief
By Bob Allen The Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission joined other faith groups in a Supreme Court brief filed Jan. 28 arguing that for-profit corporations cannot be forced to pay for employee insurance coverage of contraception if their…
U.S. officials urge release of Christian imprisoned by N. Korea
By Jeff Brumley U.S. political events and officials this week have refocused attention on the plight of Kenneth Bae, the American Christian missionary sentenced to 15 years of hard labor in North Korea. In a Tuesday meeting with Bae’s family,…
Walker Knight: more challenges ahead for Baptist journalism
By Jeff Brumley Legendary Baptist writer and editor Walker Knight has been retired from full-time journalism for years now. But he’s kept a close eye on the industry he left in the 1990s. From his longtime home in Decatur, Ga.,…
Baylor’s black gospel music collection to be part of Smithsonian exhibit
By Terry Goodrich The Black Gospel Music Restoration Project — a search-and-rescue mission launched by a Baylor University researcher to save little-known recordings from the Golden Age of black gospel — will become a permanent feature of the Smithsonian Institution’s…
Faith leaders oppose new sanctions in Iran
By Bob Allen The Baptist Peace Fellowship is among dozens of U.S. peace, security and faith groups to sign a letter from a Quaker public-interest lobby opposing Senate legislation to impose new sanctions on Iran. The Friends Committee on National…
BWA aims to overcome barriers in talks with Methodists
By Robert Dilday They’ve engaged in dialog with Pentecostals, Catholics and the Orthodox. Now the Baptist World Alliance is launching a four-year conversation with Methodists as part of its assigned task of enhancing understanding among Christian communities. This Thursday, BWA…
SBC backs ‘No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act’
By Bob Allen The Southern Baptist Convention’s political advocacy arm voiced support for a controversial bill that aims to tighten restrictions on federal funding of abortions in a letter to members of Congress Jan. 27. Russell Moore, president of the…
Brain-dead pregnant woman sparks debate about beginning, end of life issues (updated)
Editor’s note: This story was updated Jan. 28 with comments from Central Seminary Professor Tarris Rosell. By Bob Allen An unusual controversy involving both ends of the “womb to tomb” spectrum of the sanctity of human life debate ended quietly…
Anti-malaria campaign has Va. Baptists casting nets
By Robert Dilday A year after Virginia Baptists launched an initiative to battle the scourge of malaria in West Africa, nearly 20,000 mosquito nets have been distributed there — helped in part by a recent contribution from an Oklahoma-based organization…
Obama administration to appeal clergy tax ruling
By Robert Dilday The Justice Department will appeal a federal court ruling last fall that allowing clergy to avoid paying taxes on a part of their income designated as a housing allowance violates the constitutionally mandated separation of church and…