December marks the 40th anniversary of a Richmond-area ladies trio called “The Christadoes”—which means, “We Sing Unto Christ.” That name is not only the meaning of “Christadoes,” but it is also the testimony of June Caskey of Grove Avenue Baptist…
Warren, Obama dismiss criticism of AIDS conference at Saddleback
A star evangelical pastor and a star Democratic senator have fired back at anti-abortion leaders who criticized an AIDS conference designed to rally Christians to fight the global pandemic. Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Orange County, Calif.; and…
Rick who?
If Britney Spears, Denzel Washington and James Dobson were in a lineup, most Americans would know the first two but draw a blank on the evangelical leader. A new study by the Barna Group found that a majority of Americans,…
Baptist’s anti-Muslim remarks appear on Arab news network
Anti-Muslim remarks by a Missouri Baptist executive have made their way onto Al-Jazeerah, the pre-eminent news network in the Arab world. In an Oct. 30 speech to the Missouri Baptist Convention, Executive Director David Clippard said: “Today, Islam has a…
ABC Board confirms decisions to sell building, elect leader
Leaders of the American Baptist Churches USA have approved selling the “Holy Doughnut”—the organization's Pennsylvania headquarters building—and confirmed the appointment of a new head for the denomination's international missions organization. The ABC's General Board voted nearly unanimously Nov. 14 to…
Uzbek court fines Baptists preachers
Following a raid on a Baptist church in the southern Uzbek town of Karshi, two visiting Baptists were, on October 25, given massive fines of over 45 times the country's minimum monthly salary each for participating in unregistered religious worship….
Kazakh Baptists fined heavily
Two Baptists in Zyryanovsk in the eastern Kazakhstan, who were given large fines on June 27 for religious activity without registration, have failed in their appeals to have the fines overturned. Pastor Yegor Prokopenko was given the massive fine of…
Gay marriage now legal in South Africa
South Africa became the fifth country to legalize gay marriage Nov. 30 when Acting President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka signed a landmark bill into law. South Africa is the first African country to take such a step. Canada, Spain, Belgium and the…
Catching the Spirit of Advent
In churches across the Commonwealth, many of them Baptist, the Advent season was initiated by the lighting of the first Advent candle. The four candles on the wreath traditionally stand for hope, peace, joy and love—attributes of Christ's presence in…