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…
CBF General Assembly to highlight diversity, top exec says
By Bob Allen Former congressman, U.N. ambassador and Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young is a featured speaker at this year’s Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly June 23-27 in Atlanta, CBF coordinator of ministries Bo Prosser reported to the Fellowship’s Governing Board…
Ukrainian Baptist appeals for prayer as violence spreads
By Robert Dilday A Ukrainian Baptist leader is appealing for prayer as two months of increasingly violent demonstrations in his country have pitted security forces against protestors calling for the resignation of President Viktor Yanukovych. “Today, as never before, Ukraine…
CBF selects Navy officer to lead chaplaincy program
By Jeff Brumley The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has selected a 25-year military chaplain to run the program that oversees the roughly 700 chaplains and pastoral care counselors it endorses. The Fellowship announced on its blog Thursday that U.S. Navy Capt….
Accused Baptist camp chaperone indicted
By Bob Allen A volunteer youth worker accused of playing strip poker for sexual gratification with boys at a North Carolina Baptist camp in 2013 has been indicted on felony charges. Clyde Wesley Way, 68, was indicted Jan. 21 by…
SBC leader opposes medical marijuana
By Bob Allen The Southern Baptist Convention’s top public-policy expert says any therapeutic benefits of medical marijuana are outweighed by costs to society that disproportionately burden the poor. Russell Moore, head of the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, said…
McAfee makes short list of high-impact seminaries
By Jeff Brumley A community service effort at Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology is pushing the seminary into deeper relationships with Atlanta-area neighborhoods and recently landed the Baptist school on a list of the nation’s most prestigious seminaries. More importantly,…
SNAP leader terms $12.5 million abuse award against Florida Baptist Convention historic
By Bob Allen The head of a group that fought for changes in the Catholic Church in light of the pedophile priest scandal termed a $12.5 million judgment against the Florida Baptist Convention historic. David Clohessy, director of the Survivors…
Virginia AG will ask court to strike gay marriage ban
By Robert Dilday In office only two weeks, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring is expected to announce Jan. 23 that the state will ask a federal court to strike down Virginia’s constitutional ban on gay marriage, adopted in 2006 by…
Lawyer: Abuse verdict possible game-changer
By Bob Allen The attorney for a man awarded $12.5 million by a Florida jury for childhood sexual abuse suffered at the hands of a Baptist minister says the verdict could be a game-changer for how Southern Baptists handle credible…