Taxpayer-funded By Dawn’s Early Light woos Trump’s evangelical base

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (ABP) — A Florida state appeals court ruled Nov. 12 that the state's school-voucher program is unconstitutional because it provides funding to religious schools. The Florida First District Court of Appeals ruled 8-5 that the state's Opportunity Scholarship…

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (ABP) — Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has called an attempt — recently endorsed by Florida Baptists — to amend that state's constitution to ban same-sex marriage “not necessary.” Bush, in Jacksonville for a speech Nov. 15, said he…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — Baptists in Italy — a nation President Bush counts as an ally in the Iraq war — are asking their American counterparts to help bring an end to that conflict. In a letter sent Nov. 12, the…

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — Tennessee Baptists turned back an attack on “anti-Christian” teaching in public schools but agreed to investigate the biblical views taught in their three affiliated Baptist colleges. Messengers to the Tennessee Baptist Convention Nov. 9-10 in Sevierville…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — Socially conservative groups have expressed support — and civil-liberties groups have expressed concern — over President Bush's selection of Alberto Gonzales to replace John Ashcroft as attorney general. Bush nominated Gonzales, who serves as the White House's…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — Religious conservatives are raising loud objections to the elevation of a pro-choice Republican to the chairmanship of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee. Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter is in line to become the committee's new chairman when the…

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (ABP) — Messengers to the 151st annual meeting of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention Nov. 9-10 endorsed the Federal Marriage Amendment, approved a $19.7 million budget and re-elected a slate of officers. The marriage resolution expressed gratitude…

JACKSON, Miss. (ABP) — For the first time in its 169-year history, the Mississippi Baptist Convention elected an Hispanic as an officer. Messengers also threw their support behind state and national bans on gay marriage. Joel Medina, bivocational pastor of…

RAYTOWN, Mo. (ABP) — The conservative-oriented Missouri Baptist Convention took the first step toward limiting membership to “Southern Baptist” churches and excluding churches that support moderate organizations, including the state and national Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Baptist General Convention…

LIBERTY, Mo. (ABP) — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Missouri has named Jeff Langford as its new associate coordinator. Langford, 35, previously was general manager of the International Publishing Management Association in Liberty. He received a bachelor of arts degree…

LYNCHBURG, Va. (ABP) — Jerry Falwell will “resurrect” his Morality Majority with a new name in order to turn conservative momentum from the recent national elections into an “evangelical revolution.” The Southern Baptist pastor and political activist announced the formation…

SAN ANTONIO (ABP) — The Baptist General Convention of Texas passed resolutions Nov. 9 supporting traditional marriage and public schools, but messengers avoided controversy over gay marriage and a proposed “exodus” from public education. Many state Baptist conventions this fall…