ATLANTA (ABP)—Organizers for next January's New Baptist Covenant gathering announced the speakers for the historic three-day meeting—with former President Jimmy Carter making good on a pledge to enlist prominent Republican Baptists to complement the mostly Democratic headliners. Republican Senators Lindsay…
Chaplains prep West Point cadets for spiritual warfare
WEST POINT, N.Y. (BP)—Southern Baptist chaplains Col. John Cook and Lt. Col. Darrell Thomsen, along with other chaplains at West Point, mourn the loss of 51 academy graduates since the war began. Still, new cadets keep coming with a desire…
Southern Baptists may consider another public school resolution
HOUSTON (RNS)—A resolution calling on Southern Baptist churches to “create more Christian alternatives to the public schools” has been drafted and submitted for the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting June 12-13 in San Antonio. Bruce Shortt, a Houston attorney, and…
Cadets learn Islam as part of “winning the peace”
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (RNS)—The lights in a Jersey City mosque flickered at dawn, and more than a dozen West Point cadets stirred in sleeping bags scattered across the prayer room. As Imam Hussein Wahdan began the melodious call to prayer…
SBC annual meeting to focus on prayer
SAN ANTONIO (BP) —Prayer will be the the focus of the Southern Baptist Convention's June 12-13 annual meeting in San Antonio's Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Each of the SBC's five sessions will have a prayer focus. “The central focus…
Competing state conventions challenge associations
Dual—and sometimes dueling—state conventions often present a challenge for associations of churches. In keeping with Baptist polity, associations are autonomous, stand-alone organizations, just as Baptist churches and state and national conventions are. But in practice, associations have maintained close ties…
Baylor professor becomes Catholic, resigns as head of evangelical group
WACO, Texas—Renowned evangelical philosopher Francis Beckwith has become a Roman Catholic and, as a result, has resigned as president—and also as a member—of the Evangelical Theological Society. Beckwith, associate professor of church-state studies at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, said…
MC2 offers opportunities for learning and service
RICHMOND — This summer the Virginia Baptist Mission Board's Mission Connection Celebration (MC2), formerly called Family Missions Week, will offer a wide variety of opportunities for missions learning and service. To be held at Eagle Eyrie Baptist Conference Center July…
ABP board honors three, moves ahead with partnership
DALLAS (ABP)—The board of the nation's only independent news service for Baptists honored two Baptist communicators and a Dallas congregation for their contributions to the cause of Christian journalism April 27. Meeting in Dallas, directors of Associated Baptist Press also…
Virginia nominees to SBC boards and committees announced
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) Nominees to serve as trustees of Southern Baptist Convention agencies have been selected by the SBC committee on nominations. They will serve if elected at the annual SBC meeting, July 12-13. Nominees from Virginia are: • G….
Hispanics transforming nation’s religious landscape
WASHINGTON (RNS)—About half the nation's Hispanics —including many who are Roman Catholic—consider themselves charismatics or Pentecostals, creating a new confluence of streams in American Christianity, a new study has revealed. “Simply put, Latinos are transforming the nation's religious landscape,” said…
Wayne Faison to lead Mission Board team
RICHMOND — The executive committee of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board has unanimously approved Wayne Faison to be the new team leader for the VBMB's courageous churches team, effective immediately. Wayne Faison Since 2001, Faison has served as the team's…