By Bob Allen Religious liberty is becoming a casualty of America’s culture wars, a leading expert on the separation of church and state told an audience Nov. 7 at the Newseum in Washington. “I certainly didn’t predict the last 20…
Ethicist says violence a moral option
By Ken Camp The use of deadly force can be justified in a broken world inhabited by “moral monsters,” Baptist ethicist Roger Olson told students at Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary Nov. 6. “The kingdom of God is…
LifeWay apologizes to Asian-Americans
By Bob Allen The head of the Southern Baptist Convention’s publishing arm apologized Nov. 6 for a 10-year-old Asian-themed vacation Bible school curriculum that critics said promoted racial stereotypes. “Ten years ago LifeWay’s Vacation Bible School material used racial stereotypes…
Baptists issue disaster response appeals
By Jeff Brumley The needs for help are flowing in from Baptist disaster response leaders around the nation. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Tommy Deal sent an e-mail blast Wednesday appealing for volunteers who can spare the time and energy to…
High court debates ‘legislative’ prayer
By Bob Allen A divided U.S. Supreme Court debated Nov. 6 whether explicitly Christian prayers at a New York town board’s meetings violate the constitutionally mandated separation of church and state. “What we heard this morning in the courtroom was…
Rigid worship agendas can become idolatry, says York
(ABP) — Agendas, even holy agendas, are not worthy of worship, Terry York is convinced. And when something else — anything else — takes the place of God as the focus of the church’s worship, it violates God’s commandment against…
Speakers predict sermons will change in the next wave of postmodern worship
Maybe the pulpit is a safe-house in the worship wars. In the past half century, evangelical worship has seen a lot of changes. Music styles have morphed, orders of service have flip-flopped, chalk talks gave way to PowerPoint presentations and…
Mexican churches jam cell phones during worship
(ABP) — They sound off during formal dinners, in restaurants, at the movies and even in churches. They’ve become the bane of every public speaker. The dreaded cell phones. As technology has given us the ability to reach out and…
Proposal would nix N.C.’s giving options
(ABP) — A North Carolina Baptist leader will propose scrapping the optional funding plans that are part of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina’s budget, which would eliminate funding of causes popular among moderate Baptists in the state. Ted…
BJC receives $100,000 for lecture series
(ABP) — A Baptist historian and his wife have given the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty a large gift to establish a lectureship on church-state issues. The Washington-based BJC announced the $100,000 gift from Walter and Kay Shurden of…
County clears church’s housing project
A $38-million proposal by First Baptist Church of Clarendon in Arlington to develop an affordable housing complex was approved Oct. 23 by the Arlington County board. The Views of Clarendon, a unique mixed-use church and residential development project, will create…
Baptist leaders join other Christians in launching global anti-poverty project
The Baptist World Alliance is among some 260 Christian relief and development agencies that launched an ambitious global anti-poverty campaign Oct. 15. Paul Montacute, director of Baptist World Aid, joined other representatives for the launching ceremony of the Micah Challenge…