By Robert Dilday Leaders of the District of Columbia Baptist Convention said in a statement March 27 that while the convention’s “diverse body of believers” holds strong opinions on both sides of the same-sex marriage debate, its churches remain focused…
1 in 5 undecided about Easter worship
By Bob Allen One fifth of Americans haven’t decided if they will attend church on Easter Sunday, according to newly reported numbers by LifeWay Research. The rest of the population is roughly half and half. Four in 10 — 41…
Former Baptist pastor indicted
By Bob Allen A 71-year-old former Southern Baptist minister has been indicted by a grand jury in northern Mississippi on 18 felony counts of child sexual abuse. The Democrat newspaper in Senatobia, Miss., reported March 26 that Larry Gene Singleton,…
Partnership will increase Leland Center students’ understanding of poverty issues in urban setings
ARLINGTON, Va. — The John Leland Center for Theological Studies hopes to enhance the ability of its students to understand poverty issues in urban settings and to advocate on behalf of the poor through a new partnership announced this month….
Federal judge bars sectarian prayers at meetings of Virginia county’s board of supervisors
DANVILLE, Va. — The board of supervisors in Virginia’s Pittsylvania County has been permanently barred from allowing sectarian prayers at official meetings, following a decision by a federal judge March 26. U.S. District Court Judge Michael Urbanski’s ruling brings to…
OPINION: Drawing boundaries
A story is told in my family about my grandfather, a lover of old time gospel music and, in an era before paid music ministers, the song leader at his rural North Carolina Baptist church. Music was such an important…
OPINION: A pope by any other name
March 13, 2013 — a day for the history books. Anytime a pope is elected it’s historic, but this is history of histories. We have a Latin American pope. And where was I when I found out the announcement? Sucking…
OPINION: Struggling with prayers at governmental meetings
A few weeks ago, I read with great interest Robert Dilday’s article in the Religious Herald regarding prayer at official government meetings in Rowan County, N.C. By happenstance, the very next week I was to give the invocation before the…
Disagreement over same-sex marriage won’t divide D.C. Baptist churches, say leaders
WASHINGTON — Leaders of the District of Columbia Baptist Convention said in a statement March 27 that while the convention’s “diverse body of believers” holds strong opinions on both sides of the same-sex marriage debate, its churches remain focused on…
Jesus faces mock trial in Texas
By Jeff Brumley Mark Osler will leave First Baptist Church in Austin, Texas, Thursday evening spiritually drained. Seeking the death penalty for Jesus Christ, he said, always does that to him. “It is very dark,” said Osler, a former federal…
Prof expects kinder, gentler ERLC
By Bob Allen A Baptist communications professor who has written a book about religious language in politics predicts that Southern Baptists’ new spokesman for public affairs will be less strident and politically partisan than his predecessor. Russell Moore’s selection as…
Baptists promote disaster preparedness
By Bob Allen An Australian Baptist organization long committed to disaster relief and recovery is shifting focus to prepare communities for the impact of disasters before they happen. Baptist World Aid Australia announced a “Disaster Plus” campaign March 25 to…