NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) — For the third time, Jesus is about to change Reza Aslan’s life. As a teenager, Aslan turned to Jesus in an evangelical youth group, where becoming a Christian made him feel like a real American. He…
Aging pushes some churches to fiscal brink, others to find creative solutions
(ABP) — Survival is a question thousands of American churches confront each year. Estimates of annual church closures range from 3,500 to 7,000. That’s likely to increase as younger generations, including the rise of the “nones,” increasingly avoid organized religion….
Baptist groups hosting pistol classes to support ‘biblical principles’
(ABP) — A Southern Baptist camp in Illinois plans to host a National Rifle Association pistol course intended to help participants qualify for permits under the state’s newly passed concealed-carry law. The eight-hour course is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 7,…
ERLC defends sectarian public prayer in legal brief filed with Supreme Court
(ABP) — The Southern Baptist Convention Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court Aug. 2 defending prayers offered in Jesus’ name at government meetings. The first legal brief filed since Russell Moore took…
CBF leadership teams meet
By Bob Allen Implementation of a new chapter in the life of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship moves forward this week with leadership meetings at, and next door to, recently occupied new offices in Decatur, Ga. The meetings set for Sept….
Thunder rolls on for motorcycle riders as annual gathering plans mountain event
Can you hear it? It’s thunder rolling through the hills and valleys of central Virginia. Virginia Baptist motorcycle riders and their friends will gather Oct. 4-6 at Watermarks Camp in Scottsville, Va., for the 2013 edition of Thunder in the…
Festival aims to overcome theological differences, address social issues
HOT SPRINGS, N.C. (ABP) — The third-annual Wild Goose Festival opened in early August in the mountains of North Carolina, with organizers and many participants hoping the outdoor gathering will heal divisions between conservative, progressive and moderate Christians. National leaders…
Church shares passion for orphan soles
By Jenny Pope Most churches greet the rush of the back-to-school season with special worship services and promotion Sundays, but one Houston church stays grounded with an annual project that has now helped protect the feet of more than 100,000…
Glorieta leaseholders seek injunction
By Ken Camp An Arkansas couple who own a house on land leased from Glorieta Conference Center has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court seeking a temporary restraining order or injunction to prevent the transfer of property from LifeWay…
The birds, the bees and the Baptists
By Ken Camp The fear of offending diverse church memberships understandably causes many pastors to shy away from open discussions about sexuality, said Christian ethicist David Gushee. “I would fault churches for their silence on these issues, but having witnessed…
SBC ethicist addresses online porn
By Bob Allen The temple prostitutes that tempted some in the New Testament church in Corinth have been “digitalized and weaponized” today in the form of Internet pornography, Southern Baptists’ top spokesman for moral concerns warned seminary students Sept. 5….
Committee appointed to select candidate for Woman’s Missionary Union of Virginia executive
RICHMOND — An eight-member search committee has been named to find a new executive director/treasurer of Woman’s Missionary Union of Virginia. Pat Wright The committee, which held an organizational meeting in early August, was named by WMUV’s board of trustees,…