By Bob Allen Scott Stevens, former student director at LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, has been named publisher of BaptistWay Press, publishing arm of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Stevens, who has both a master’s degree…
Police investigate IFB pastor
By Bob Allen An Indiana sheriff’s office is investigating a prominent independent Baptist pastor fired from his 15,000-member mega church for alleged sexual misconduct with an underage girl. First Baptist Church in Hammond, Ind., posted a news release on the…
Faith leaders oppose GOP tax plan
By Bob Allen More than 60 Christian leaders and theologians – including several Baptists – signed an open letter Aug. 1 criticizing a proposal backed by House Republicans to extend Bush-era tax cuts to the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans,…
Richard Land announces retirement
By Bob Allen Richard Land, Southern Baptists’ top public-policy spokesman recently reprimanded for plagiarism and racially insensitive rhetoric on his radio show, announced July 31 that he will retire next year. Land, 65, plans to step down Oct. 23, 2013,…
Chick-fil-A to draw crowds—and not for its food
(RNS)—It could get pretty crowded at Chick-fil-A’s across the Mid-Atlantic and the nation this week—and not because of the fast-food restaurant’s famous waffle fries. Supporters and opponents of gay marriage plan to appear at Chick-fil-A locations nationwide after the company’s…
Religion at the Olympics, from ancient Greece to London
NEW YORK (RNS)—A 600-foot footrace was the only athletic event at the first Olympics, a festival held in 776 B.C. and dedicated to Zeus, the chief Greek god. For the next millennium, Greeks gathered every four years in Olympia to…
Religion at the Olympics, from ancient Greece to London
NEW YORK (RNS)—A 600-foot footrace was the only athletic event at the first Olympics, a festival held in 776 B.C. and dedicated to Zeus, the chief Greek god. For the next millennium, Greeks gathered every four years in Olympia to…
Prof: racism should be test of fellowship
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist seminary professor said July 30 the Southern Baptist Convention should withdraw fellowship from a Mississippi congregation if it doesn’t discipline a minority of members who managed to block an African-American couple from getting married…
Koinonia Farms plans Jordan symposium
By Bob Allen Last Sunday, July 29, would have been the 100th birthday of Clarence Jordan, a Southern Baptist minister — well known for his Cotton Patch Bible translation — who died in 1969. A month-long celebration of his legacy…
BJC joins criticism of Bachmann
By Bob Allen The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty and American Baptist Churches USA were among 42 religious and secular organizations that signed an open letter July 26 protesting Rep. Michelle Bachmann and other conservative lawmakers’ recent allegation that…
Bible museum closes $50 million deal for D.C. spot
WASHINGTON (RNS)—Planners of a Bible museum in Washington closed a $50 million deal July 26 on a building two blocks from the National Mall. The new Bible museum in Washington will be in a building two blocks from the National…
VITAL SIGNS: Search committee ethics
A recent column about some of the positive experiences of clergy who have recently moved motivated some responses around the theme of “things that have not gone well.” Here are some common ethical issues search committees must deal with. Bill…