By Bob Allen The head of an organization that advocates for the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons within Baptist communities of faith welcomed comments by Pope Francis saying the Catholic Church is too focused on gays,…
BWA seeks funds for Mexico floods
By Jeff Brumley The Baptist World Alliance is calling for financial contributions to help communities in Mexico devastated by hurricane-related flooding and mudslides. The Mexican government reported that as many as 80 people have died as the result of hurricanes…
Historic church calls woman pastor
By Bob Allen Elizabeth Mangham Lott, a Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond graduate who has served as associate pastor at Westover Baptist Church in Richmond, Va., since 2010, has been called as 19th senior pastor of St. Charles Avenue Baptist Church…
Christian leaders oppose SNAP cuts
By Bob Allen American Baptists joined other faith leaders in urging members of the House of Representatives to oppose cuts to food stamps proposed by Republican leaders totaling $40 billion over 10 years. A vote is expected this week on…
Former CBF leader lands job
By Bob Allen Connie McNeill, whose position as coordinator for administration for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship ended in July, has a new job. McNeill, who served eight years at the Atlanta-based CBF before her job was eliminated in a staff…
HeraldBeat: Tracking Baptists across the Mid-Atlantic
Accepted a new call? Been ordained? Church celebrating an anniversary? Mission trip or project that you would like highlighted on the HeraldBeat page? Send info to HeraldBeat editor Barbara Francis at [email protected]. Transitions ON THE MOVE Adam Blosser, to Drakes…
Cambodian sisters master church cooking
By Jeff Brumley Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, is famous for a lot of things, including its historic organ, liturgical worship and its urban outreach. But it’s also known, at least locally, as one of the best places…
Future of Baylor alumni group unclear
By Bob Allen The future of Baylor University’s independent alumni association and The Baylor Line magazine remains unclear after a Sept. 7 vote to dissolve the Baylor Alumni Association into the university failed to muster a needed two-thirds super majority….
Mohler says military chaplains at risk
By Bob Allen New guidelines that bar Southern Baptist military chaplains from leading or attending same-sex wedding ceremonies may force Bible-believing Christians to choose between serving God or country, a seminary president says in a blog and audio podcast. “The…
Court upholds contraception mandate
By Bob Allen A federal appeals court ruled Sept. 17 that a for-profit manufacturing corporation must provide workers with health insurance that includes no-cost birth control even if it violates the religious teaching of the owners. The 6th U.S. Circuit…
Panel recalls Elliott controversy
Correction: This story was updated after posting to correct an error in the sixth paragraph. By Bob Allen Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary convened a panel Sept. 11 for a 50-year retrospective on a controversy that many believe planted seeds for…
Nationals Park echoes as nearly 550 handbell ringers from more than 50 churches open baseball game
WASHINGTON — The celestial sounds of handbells rang loudly when 542 ringers chimed together Aug. 29 to play the national anthem before a crowd gathered for a game at Nationals Park in Washington. The mass choir, organized by a regional…