Baptist News Global

American Baptist leaders return from study tour in Middle East

VALLEY FORGE, Pa. (ABP) — A delegation of 12 American Baptist leaders recently returned from a 13-day study tour in the Middle East. Goals of the trip included helping American Baptists become more familiar with the life of the church…

Where is our identity as Jesus’ disciples?

By Norman Jameson Between April and June 1994 an estimated 800,000 Rwandans were killed in the space of 100 days in a tribal, ethnic genocide that people outside of Rwanda still do not understand. Most of the dead were Tutsis…

Window washing and Advent

By David Wilkinson The window washers left our house at sunset last night with about 90 percent of the job done. Seems the rest is up to us: we can live with being mostly clean or we can finish the…

Wayland students, staff care for platoon 6,500 miles from home

PLAINVIEW, Texas (ABP) — Students and staff at a Baptist university in Texas turned their attention far from campus, hoping to spread Christmas cheer to troops overseas. Wayland Baptist University student activities coordinator Ericka Miller (left) works on packing boxes of…

Report details hopeless conditions in Gaza

LONDON (ABP) — Residents of Gaza see no hope for a brighter future — and that's one of the most distressing aspects of the situation in the Middle East, according to an international Christian aid-and-development group’s advocacy officer for the…

Layman follows unlikely path to ministry

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — A Baptist layman with an engineering background might not seem a logical choice to lead a spiritual-formation ministry run by United Methodists. Not surprisingly, the path that led Johnny Sears to Upper Room Ministries in Nashville,…

John the Baptist intrudes on Advent

By Amy Butler I’ve been sticking with the Gospel texts assigned by the lectionary for sermon-writing these first three weeks of Advent even though John the Baptist and I have a kind of rocky relationship history. I just have always…

Review: Film depicts struggle for peace in modern Bethlehem

By Robert Wallace Serene manger scenes and Magi represent the extent of most American Christians’ understanding of Bethlehem. But EGM Films’ powerful new documentary, Little Town of Bethlehem, tells the story of a Bethlehem that doesn’t lie so still. The…

Suspects plead guilty to church arsons

TYLER, Texas (ABP) — Two men accused in a string of East Texas arsons early in 2010 pleaded guilty Dec. 15 in a Smith County court to burning five churches. Jason Bourque According to the Tyler Telegraph, Jason Bourque, 20,…

Fallout continues over departure of gay soccer coach

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — Fallout continues for Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., over the departure of a women's soccer coach who revealed she and her same-sex partner are expecting a baby. Nashville's Metro Council is considering revoking an agreement allowing…

Bantering with Bill Leonard

By Ron Crawford A few days ago, Bill Leonard’s article, “Opinion: Will CBF make it another 20?” was published by Associated Baptist Press. As is always the case, Bill brings wonderful insight to the table; his article inspired me to…

From the Eastern Shore to Cumberland Gap

STAFF CHANGES • Wayne Colton, to Triangle Church, Triangle, as pastor. • Matthew Storie, to First Church, Independence, as pastor. • Fred Unger, now serving as pastor of North Main Church, Danville. • Stephen H. Cook, resigning as pastor of…

‘Be careful of Scripture heavy in law but light on grace,’ Wesley warns

‘Show up and do something,’ ACLU leader urges

From the South Side to the South Lawn and back again

Democracy as a moral practice, not just a system