Renewed debate on churches as polling places

VENTURA, Calif. (ABP) — House churches — small groups of 20 or so that regularly meet together for worship in a non-conventional setting — are out-performing more traditional congregations when it comes to satisfying attendees, according to a new survey….

AUSTIN, Texas (ABP) — If Christians worldwide can network with each other, the global Christian church will be poised for effective ministry in the 21st century, according to Anna Robbins of the London School of Theology. That networked church is…

MINNEAPOLIS (ABP) — Board members of the National Association of Evangelicals declined March 9 to chasten the group's public-policy officer for his public statements on global warming — but an intramural fight among evangelical elites on the issue may just…

ATLANTA (ABP) — Rick Bennett of Orangeburg, S.C., has been hired as associate coordinator for faith formation for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Bennett was most recently pastoral educator for First Baptist Church in Orangeburg, S.C., where he worked since 2001….

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (ABP) — Sweden is likely to become the world's sixth nation to offer gay couples full marriage rights. Lawmakers there are expected to approve a gay-marriage recommendation offered by a special government commission March 21. Sweden's state-established Lutheran…

WASHINGTON (ABP) — Despite a first-round defeat for the Federal Marriage Amendment July 14, proponents vowed to continue fighting and say they expect to win. Matt Daniels, president of the Alliance for Marriage, a coalition of Christian and other groups…

PORTLAND, Ore. (ABP) — The archdiocese of Portland, Ore., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the wake of civil lawsuits accusing two parish priests of child molestation. The bankruptcy claim forestalls the trials, which were set to begin June 13….

HOUSTON (ABP) — In the shadow of the grand media extravaganza that is the Super Bowl, members of a Texas Baptist evangelism team found that less-publicized actions can have a greater impact. Eight volunteers on the Texas Inner City Evangelism…

MESQUITE, Texas (ABP) — When Anglos, Hispanics, African-Americans and Nigerians gather in the same place on Sunday morning, planning worship can be a challenge. “It's a lot more than just a question of hymns or choruses,” said Charlie Brown, pastor…