Why coercive religious politics undermine Christianity and democracy

ROME, Ga. (ABP) — Shorter College's dissolution and reorganization that created a self-perpetuating board of trustees last year “cannot stand” without the Georgia Baptist Convention's approval, a state appeals court ruled March 17. The ongoing legal battle between the GBC…

MADRID, Spain (ABP) — Had it happened another day, David Dixon might no longer be dean of a Spanish seminary, no longer be pastor of an international church, no longer be father to three boys. Dixon normally would have been…

PINEVILLE, La. (ABP) — Trustees of Louisiana College met March 16 without revisiting a controversial textbook policy or commenting on the recent resignations of the Baptist school's president and academic vice president. Trustees did add an unscheduled meeting for April,…

DALLAS (ABP) — For the first time in the history of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, ethnic minorities chair all seven of the appointed committees. The convention's officers, led by BGCT president Ken Hall, made the appointments to integrate…

DOTHAN, Ala. (ABP) — In 1998 Sonny Glover went to Romania on a missions trip looking to do church construction. Instead, he looked into the big, brown eyes of a young girl who changed his life. The girl, a 4-year-old…

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (ABP) — A lawsuit filed against First Baptist Church of West Palm Beach claims the church defrauded a mentally ill woman out of her $1.8 million inheritance. Lucinda Bennett, 34, attended First Baptist Church from 1998…

RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) — The lone survivor of a drive-by shooting that killed four Southern Baptist workers in Iraq has been upgraded to stable but critical condition and is “doing well” in a German hospital, according to an International Mission…

MOSUL, Iraq (ABP) — Four Southern Baptist missionaries were killed and a fifth critically injured in a drive-by shooting March 15 in Iraq. The International Mission Board team was in Mosul, Iraq, researching the needs for future humanitarian projects. The…

CORRECTION: There is an identification error in the March 11 ABP story, “BWA Executive Committee issues statement on SBC flap.” In the eighth paragraph, the writer identified Fausto de Vasconcelos as “director of BWA's evangelism and education division.” That is…

PINEVILLE, La. (ABP) — The president and academic vice president are leaving Louisiana College, a Baptist school that has been embroiled in a controversy over academic freedom. Rory Lee, president for seven years, announced March 15 he is leaving at…

NEW YORK (ABP) — The number of Protestants — particularly Pentecostals — continues to increase in the United States, with a fourth Pentecostal denomination joining the list of 25 largest U.S. religious bodies. The new numbers come from the 2004…

DURHAM, N.C. (ABP) — Although there are more Protestant ministers than churches, many ministers don't want to work for those congregations, especially smaller ones, according to a study by Duke University. While nearly every denomination surveyed has more than one…