By Bob Allen Nineteen black religious leaders visited the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association headquarters in Charlotte, N.C., March 20 to meet with evangelist Franklin Graham. The visit by the NAACP delegation came three weeks after Graham, president and CEO of…
Baptist youth minister charged with sexual assault
By Bob Allen A Texas Baptist youth minister was arrested March 19 on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Gary Welch Gary Welch, 42, minister of students at Northside Baptist Church in Corsicana, Texas, was arraigned and held…
Seminarian expelled after arrest on sex charge
By Bob Allen A Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary student arrested March 17 and charged with sexual assault has been expelled and removed from student housing, officials of the school in Wake Forest, N.C., said March 21. A special chapel service…
‘Blue Like Jazz’ film aims to be Christian, not ‘cheesy’
NEW YORK (RNS)—Do not confuse the upcoming film Blue Like Jazz with Christian market movies like Fireproof or Courageous. “A Christian movie genre has formed. Our first goal with this movie is that we didn’t fit into this genre,” said…
After 17 years, Sheffield’s ‘dry bones’ live again
ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Twenty years ago, Jo Saxton surveyed the city of Sheffield, England, and realized she faced a formidable task. The college pastor of St. Thomas’ Church, an Anglican congregation, Saxton was ministering in a city studded with large churches and…
Culture requires new mission approaches, says leader
ALEXANDRIA, Va.—An increasingly diverse Western culture requires Christians to rethink the way they define “church,” an Anglican bishop told participants at the March 16-17 inaugural national gathering of Fresh Expressions. “We have to stop assuming that the learned models are…
A different kind of Christian film?
NEW YORK (RNS)—Do not confuse the upcoming film Blue Like Jazz with Christian market movies like Fireproof or Courageous. “A Christian movie genre has formed. Our first goal with this movie is that we didn’t fit into this genre,” said…
Seminarian expelled after arrest on sex charge
WAKE FOREST, N.C. (ABP)—A Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary student arrested March 17 and charged with sexual assault has been expelled and removed from student housing, officials of the school in Wake Forest, N.C., said March 21. A special chapel service…
Mid-Atlantic CBF hears of ‘revolutionary’ mission changes
By Robert Dilday One of the most revolutionary changes in global missions engagement is the new centrality of congregations in the movement, members of the Mid-Atlantic Cooperative Baptist Fellowship were told March 18. Outgoing MACBF moderator Kasey Jones (left) and…
Pastor’s introduction of Santorum goes viral
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist pastor in Louisiana became an Internet celebrity when his fiery introduction at a rally for presidential candidate Rick Santorum went viral on YouTube and news websites. “I don’t care what the liberals say,…
Mission engagement is changing, Mid-Atlantic CBF told
SILVER SPRING, Md.—One of the of the most revolutionary changes in global mission engagement is the new centrality of congregations in the movement, members of the Mid-Atlantic Cooperative Baptist Fellowship were told March 18. “About 18,000 people participated in church-sponsored…
Why is it so hard to do religion in prime time?
NEW YORK (RNS)—Many TV network executives, advertisers and producers would sell their souls to get the kind of audience God has. But giving religion a starring role in prime time? Not so much. Religion, God and spirituality have made cameos…