Why coercive religious politics undermine Christianity and democracy

RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) –Thomas Graves, president of Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond since 1991, has announced plans to retire next year. Citing health reasons, Graves, 58, will step down July 1, 2007. He announced his plans during a special called…

ARLINGTON, Texas (ABP) — One of Southern Baptists' most prominent African-American leaders responded Aug. 30 to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's rationale for partially censoring a chapel sermon he preached there a day before. In an open letter, Dwight McKissic told…

NEW ORLEANS (ABP) — Despite expectations to the contrary, donations to many charities not related to Hurricane Katrina held steady or increased last year, according to reports from Charity Navigator, a nonprofit watchdog group that monitors the financial health of…

NEW ORLEANS (ABP) — Although Hurricane Katrina inspired an unprecedented relief response, some of the groups who answered the call were inexperienced and ineffective, according to a charity watchdog group. The deluge of new and inexperienced charities that responded to…

PASS CHRISTIAN, Miss. (ABP) — One of the clearest demonstrations of Hurricane Katrina's power as it decimated the Mississippi Gulf Coast Aug. 29, 2005, is the shell of a large three-story steel-reinforced concrete building in the once-charming town of Pass…

CINCINNATI (ABP) — The Progressive National Baptist Convention has named T. DeWitt Smith as its new president. Elected at the convention's annual summer session, Smith will succeed Major Jemison as leader of the Washington, D.C.-based denomination. Smith is pastor of…

FORT WORTH, Texas (ABP) — A trustee at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary endorsed the concept of a private prayer language in an Aug. 29 chapel sermon at the institution, setting off a wave of discussion in the Southern Baptist blogosphere…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — At least two congregations whose activities in Cuba triggered a $34,000 fine for the Alliance of Baptists have been granted their own travel licenses by the same agency that issued the fine. The Treasury Department recently approved…

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABP) — A Habitat for Humanity official headed to the Gulf Coast was among 49 people killed in an early morning plane crash Aug. 27 in Lexington, Ky. Pat Smith of Lexington, a member of Habitat for Humanity…

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — A local Tennessee church and the Croatian Baptist Union have formed a unique partnership to help support a pastoral center in ?akovec, Croatia. First Baptist Church of Knoxville, Tenn., and the Baptist Union will provide writing,…

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (ABP) — Rep. Katherine Harris (R-Fla.) has caused a major stir with comments, published in the Florida Baptist Convention's newspaper, suggesting that the separation of church and state is “a lie” and that failing to elect Christians to…

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (ABP) — Embattled pastor Steven Flockhart resigned from First Baptist Church of West Palm Beach, Fla. — less than three months after he was hired to lead the 10,000-member church — reportedly because he lied about…