By Bob Allen The former pastor of a Southern Baptist church in Maryland pleaded guilty Feb. 7 to sexually abusing a girl in his congregation. Joe Nix Ivey, 74, of Walkersville, Md., confessed to a second-degree sex offense in a…
Editor warns of encroaching Calvinism
By Bob Allen A recent Baptist state newspaper editorial warned of a “presumable encroachment” of five-point Calvinism in the Southern Baptist Convention. Christian Index Editor Gerald Harris penned the editorial titled “The Calvinists are here” Feb. 9. Harris noted that…
Baptist ethicist: There is no global war on Christians
By Bob Allen A Baptist ethicist accused Newsweekmagazine of feeding fear with a cover story headlined “The Global War on Christians in the Muslim World.” Robert Parham “The narrative of a global war on Christians is a cousin of the…
Group seeks nominees for boards of BGAV partners
RICHMOND, Va. — Nominees to serve on the governing boards of 20 organizations which partner with the Baptist General Association of Virginia are being sought by the BGAV’s committee on boards and committees. In addition, the nominating committee is seeking…
Campus minister Melissa Cheliras dies following battle with cancer
By Robert Dilday Melissa Cheliras, Baptist campus minister at the University of Richmond, died Feb. 10, following a four-month battle with esophageal cancer. She was 33. Melissa Cheliras Cheliras had been part-time collegiate minister at UR since last summer. She…
Campus minister dies following battle with cancer
RICHMOND, Va. — Melissa Cheliras, Baptist campus minister at the University of Richmond, died Feb. 10, following a four-month battle with esophageal cancer. She was 33. Cheliras had been part-time collegiate minister at UR since last summer. She also served…
Baptist leaders welcome adjustment to birth control coverage rule
By Bob Allen Baptist leaders applauded President Obama’s Feb. 10 announcement that insurance companies must pay for birth-control services for women who work for religious institutions that object to paying for them on moral grounds. “This is a positive step in…
SBC insurance provider not satisfied with Obama compromise
President Obama’s compromise plan for mandatory coverage of contraceptives does not solve religious liberty concerns for the Southern Baptist Convention’s insurance provider, GuideStone Financial Resources President O.S. Hawkins said in a statement Feb. 10. GuideStone’s medical plan is self-funded, Hawkins…
Baptist leaders welcome birth-control compromise
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Baptist leaders based in the Mid-Atlantic applauded President Obama’s Feb. 10 announcement that insurance companies must pay for birth-control services for women who work for religious institutions that object to paying for them on moral grounds. “This…
Baptist leaders welcome birth-control compromise
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Baptist leaders based in the Mid-Atlantic applauded President Obama’s Feb. 10 announcement that insurance companies must pay for birth-control services for women who work for religious institutions that object to paying for them on moral grounds. “This…
Baptist leaders welcome birth-control compromise
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Baptist leaders based in the Mid-Atlantic applauded President Obama’s Feb. 10 announcement that insurance companies must pay for birth-control services for women who work for religious institutions that object to paying for them on moral grounds. “This…
Baptist leader says contraceptive mandate should be revised
Brent Walker By Bob Allen The head of a Baptist religious liberty watchdog group said Feb. 8 that the Obama administration should return new health-care regulations to the drawing board to address religious liberty concerns. The Affordable Care Act, also…