By Bob Allen Baptists worldwide have been asked to donate funds to assist people recovering from a series of disasters in the United States. Baptist World Aid, the relief-and-development arm of the Baptist World Alliance, announced an appeal June 24…
Busy, historic General Assembly for CBF
By Jeff Brumley General Assembly 2013 is expected to be one of the busier – and more historic – gatherings in CBF’s history, as participants welcome a new leader and vote to significantly streamline the organization to meet current and…
Is yoga instruction religious? Court case may decide
SAN DIEGO (RNS) — In an elementary school classroom with an American flag draped over one wall, a couple dozen students rose to standing positions. Then they shifted into poses called “volcano part one,” “silent gorilla,” and “rag doll.” Some…
Is yoga instruction religious? San Diego court case may decide
SAN DIEGO (RNS) — In an elementary school classroom with an American flag draped over one wall, a couple dozen students rose to standing positions. Then they shifted into poses called “volcano part one,” “silent gorilla,” and “rag doll.” Some…
New Gettysburg museum on seminary campus explores role of faith in Civil War
GETTYSBURG, Pa. (RNS) — When Confederate soldiers bore down on Gettysburg, Pa., in 1863, a quiet seminary building atop a ridge was transformed — first into a Union lookout, then a field hospital for 600 wounded soldiers. Now the structure…
At CBF’s General Assembly, old structures will pass into history, say leaders
General Assembly 2013 is expected to be one of the busier — and more historic — gatherings in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s history, as participants welcome a new leader and vote to significantly streamline the organization to meet current and…
Faith-based groups, including Baptists, emerge as leaders of Moral Monday protests in Raleigh
RALEIGH (RNS) — The throngs of demonstrators who flock to the grassy knoll outside the North Carolina Statehouse each Monday know the drill. They listen to a fiery speech denouncing the Republican majority’s legislative actions. They sing freedom songs and…
‘New Jim Crow’ turns back civil rights
By Bob Allen Four decades of America’s “war on drugs” has brought on a “New Jim Crow,” creating “a growing under-caste” primarily of people of color, and turned back many of the hard-won advances of the Civil Rights Movement, an…
One giant step for West, Texas
By Jeff Brumley The Central Texas city rocked by a fertilizer plant explosion took a giant leap toward recovery last week during “Loving West,” a cleanup campaign organized by the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Planners with BGCT disaster recovery…
Blogger fights copyright suit
This story was edited after publishing to clarify informatin in the sixth paragraph. By Bob Allen A Baptist blogger has appealed for donations to aid a nonprofit group that is defending him against a lawsuit filed after he posted online…
Doctrinal disputes disappear in disaster
Jeff Brumley The capital “C” Church is on display in West, Texas, as Churches of Christ, Methodists, Mennonites and Baptists join together to help the Central Texas city recover from the April fertilizer plant explosion. Doctrinal controversies such as grace-vs.-works or whether the Bible is inerrant take a…
Strategy aims to transform conflict
By Bob Allen Conflict poses both danger and opportunity between individuals, congregations and nations, says Evelyn Hanneman, operations coordinator for the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America. “We like to say that conflict is holy ground, because conflict does offer…