MADISON, Wis. (ABP) – A federal court ruled Sept. 9 that two Wisconsin public high schools’ practice of holding graduation ceremonies in a church did not violate the constitutionally mandated separation of church and state. A divided three-judge panel of…
Baptist university president plans August 2012 retirement
HANNIBAL, Mo. (ABP) — Hannibal-LaGrange University President Woodrow Burt plans to retire next year. Woodrow Burt Now in his 18th year as the institution's head, Burt announced at the HLGU board of trustees meeting Sept. 9 that he will step…
CBF officers seek search committee members
ATLANTA (ABP) – Elected leaders of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship are seeking names to consider for a search committee to recommend a replacement for the moderate Baptist organization’s retiring CEO. Daniel Vestal, executive coordinator of the Atlanta-based CBF since 1996,…
State department cites religious freedom violations
WASHINGTON (ABP) – The State Department released an annual report Sept. 13 detailing violations of religious freedom around the world. Suzan Johnson Cook Suzan Johnson Cook, an ordained Baptist minister recently sworn in as United States ambassador-at-large for international religious…
Morally, 9/11 mixed for Americans, theologian says at Baptist seminary
SHAWNEE, Kan. (ABP) – Many 9/11 speakers discussed whether America is any safer now than it was 10 years ago, but a Baptist seminary in Kansas pondered a decade later whether Americans are better people. Addressing a packed house at…
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship seeks search committee members
ATLANTA (ABP) — Elected leaders of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship are seeking names to consider for a search committee to recommend a replacement for the moderate Baptist organization’s retiring CEO. Daniel Vestal, executive coordinator of the Atlanta-based CBF since 1996,…
Baptists aid Syrian refugees pouring into Lebanon
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (ABP) – Thousands of Syrian refugees pouring into Lebanon in recent months are being met with Baptist aid. The Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development and the Rahbe Baptist Church have coordinated receipt and spending of…
Passport begins week of online 9/11 reflections
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (ABP) – Ten years ago, leaders of the student and education ministry Passport felt that after the 9/11 terrorist attacks that pre-printed Advent devotions were suddenly out of date. They quickly produced replacement online devotions on a website…
Baptists minister to physical, spiritual needs caused by Texas wildfires
BASTROP, Texas (ABP) — Dan Franklin couldn’t even smell the scent of smoke Friday that entailed the destruction of about 1,500 homes, the burning of about 34,000 acres and the loss of two lives. The volunteer chaplain with the Texas…
OPINION: Being careful with terminology
A week or two after the 2004 election, I was dining with some friends in New York when the conversation turned to religion and politics — the two things that you're never supposed to discuss in polite company. George W….
ASK THE ARCHITECT: Planning a church’s facilties requires analysis
Now we hit the runway! We have flown at 33.000 feet in understanding the critical importance of mission statement development for your church, and then a series of articles on master planning enabled us to take a helicopter view of…
Richmond Association churches provide summer program for children
RICHMOND, Va. — Calvin Birch’s 6-year-old son, Joel, was dressing one Sunday and asked his dad, pastor of the African Christian Community Church in Richmond, where they were going. “What do you mean?” he replied to his son. “We’re going…