By Robert Dilday A longtime Baptist minister and social worker will be recommended Feb. 8 to be the ninth executive of Woman’s Missionary Union of Virginia — the first African-American to hold the post in the organization’s 140-year existence. Valerie…
Pastor murder suspect waives extradition
By Bob Allen An Alabama Baptist pastor will not fight extradition back to Alabama to face murder charges in connection to the stabbing death of his wife last summer. Richard Shahan, who resigned Dec. 31 as children and families pastor…
Discerning what is – and isn’t – persecution
By Jeff Brumley In America, a reality TV star gets suspended for controversial remarks on race and homosexuality and conservative Christians claim victim and martyr status in the media. In Egypt, churches are torched by Islamic mobs and those Christians…
LifeWay re-launches True Love Waits
By Bob Allen Twenty years after launching the first virginity-pledge program, LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention is retooling its famous True Love Waits sexual abstinence commitment with a video-driven Bible study on the issue of sexual purity….
Interim pastor supports arrested minister
By Bob Allen The interim pastor of First Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., defended the church’s former associate pastor arrested as a fugitive from justice in connection with his wife’s July murder in comments quoted by the Birmingham News. “I…
Attorney: Minister wasn’t trying to flee
By Bob Allen Attorneys for an Alabama Baptist minister charged with murdering his wife say their client would have surrendered voluntarily if he had known a warrant for his arrest had been issued. Avoiding his Jan. 1 arrest while trying…
Exec resigns to head leadership group
By Robert Dilday Rob McCleland has resigned as executive director and CEO of the 400-church North American Baptist Conference to become executive of an Atlanta-based Christian leadership training organization. McCleland, who had led the 74,000-member NAB since 2007, will assume…
Baptist minister arrested in wife’s murder
By Bob Allen Richard Shahan, until recently on administrative leave as children and families pastor and facilities director at First Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., since his wife was found slain in their home July 23, was arrested New Year’s…
Divine devices or digital distractions?
By Jeff Brumley Alan Rudnick never was a fan of bringing phones into church sanctuaries and never did so himself — until about a year ago. That’s when he discovered bona fide uses for electronic devices during worship services at…
CBF churches scrimmage over BCS game
By Jeff Brumley Two Cooperative Baptist churches — one in Alabama, the other in Florida — are embroiled in a social media rivalry over college football that’s making headlines and inspiring mission work. It all started Tuesday when Bill Shiell, the senior pastor at…
What’s ahead for Baptist life in 2014?
By Bob Allen Crab cakes. The Southern Baptist Convention meets in Baltimore for the first time since 1940 in June. Fred Luter, the first black SBC president in history, isn’t eligible for another term, setting up a presidential race likely…
As new year tolls, ABP/Religious Herald merger launches new media platform
By Robert Dilday After months of preparation, the merger between Associated Baptist Press and the Religious Herald took effect yesterday, launching a new digital and print media platform aimed at enhancing the mission and heritage of both organizations. Legal processes to create…