Baptist News Global

First regional New Baptist Covenant event focuses on reconciliation

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (ABP) — Former President Jimmy Carter went to a shrine of the Civil Rights Movement Jan. 31 to drive home a point about racial reconciliation among Baptists, stepping up into the pulpit of the Birmingham, Ala., church where…

Obama picks religious adviser DuBois for faith-based post; questions remain

WASHINGTON (ABP) — President Obama has selected a 26-year-old Pentecostal minister who served as his top religion adviser during the presidential campaign to head a revamped White House office on faith-based social services. Critics of President Bush’s attempt to expand…

Opinion: God as athletic director

(ABP) We have all seen it. A football player makes a big play, scores the winning touchdown, drops to one knee and points a finger towards the heavens. What does it mean when in a moment of success a player…

Recession forces cutbacks at Southern Baptist agencies

DALLAS (ABP) — Several Southern Baptist Convention entities are tightening the belt in response to budget shortfalls in a flagging economy. GuideStone Financial Resources said Jan. 27 it just implemented a hiring freeze and is giving no raises to employees, with…

God as athletic director

By James L. Evans We have all seen it. A football player makes a big play, scores the winning touchdown, drops to one knee and points a finger towards the heavens. What does it mean when, in a moment of…

Doing well, doing good

A growing number of Christian businesspeople—who see entrepreneurial ventures as missional opportunities—believe doing good and doing well don't have to be mutually exclusive. These Christian social entrepreneurs are committed to using their business skills to organize, create, manage and monetize…

At this church, there’s always room at the inn

PORTLAND, Ore. (RNS)—Eric Bahme no longer apologizes for being a preacher who keeps his eye on the bottom line. He is both a pastor and a businessman, he says, because that's how God made him. “Within every single person, God…

Hobby Lobby executive describes company’s legacy of faith

SHAWNEE, Okla. (BP)—Steve Green's father, David, started his retail career in high school through the DECA business education program. Never the model student, but with an affinity for math, David Green embraced the opportunity provided by the work program, starting…

Chick-fil-A’s Cathy honors commitment to give

ATLANTA (BP)—When Truett Cathy, founder of the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain, was named the winner of the William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership, it recognized not just a year of extraordinary charitable giving but a lifestyle devoted to giving. Cathy,…

Youth EnCounter expands to six events across Virginia

RICHMOND—“Youth EnCounter is expanding exponentially,” explained Ken Dibble, youth ministry strategist for the Virginia Baptist Mission Board. “To reach as many youth as possible with the gospel, we're bringing Youth EnCounter closer to local communities, at less cost, so that…

Churches in 18 Virginia associations complete 2008 ACP

Virginia Baptist leaders are acknowledging the 18 district associations affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia in which all churches completed the 2008 Annual Church Profile (ACP). Leaders also have praised the contact persons who collected the information. Each…

Virginia Baptists fall just shy of funding 2008 BGAV budget

RICHMOND—Virginia Baptists funded their 2008 budget at almost 98 percent—a noteworthy event in the midst of a severe economic crisis, said leaders of the Baptist General Association of Virginia. Last year, BGAV churches contributed $14,092,291 toward the state association's Cooperative…

An American experiment: 250 years of trying

10 reasons America is not a ‘Christian nation’

American Dominion traces deep roots of Seven Mountain Mandate

Lindsey Graham and the history of ‘widow’s succession’