The other day, my Christian neighbor and I had an “across the fence” discussion that turned to theology. When I mildly disagreed with him, he responded, “You are persecuting me!” and walked away. Just what constitutes “persecution for righteousness sake”?…
‘In God We Trust’ will move on coins
WASHINGTON (RNS) — The national motto “In God We Trust” will move from the edge of new dollar coins honoring U.S. presidents to the front or back of the currency. A provision in the $555 billion domestic spending bill for…
High-tech audio Bibles bring Scriptures to life, users say
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (RNS) — Often when Mike Sheppard listens to the stories of the Crucifixion or Mary's discovery of the empty tomb, he gets so distracted he almost forgets he's behind the wheel. “There are points in the New Testament…
CBF to lease former Ga. Baptist building
ATLANTA (ABP) — A leading moderate Baptist group has signed a 10-year lease with Mercer University for offices previously occupied by the conservative Georgia Baptist Convention. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship will lease much of the building from Mercer University, which…
Prayer heals honest Brit’s legs but cannot cure bureaucracy with no ‘miracle’ button
LONDON (RNS) — A British pastor's wife who claims the power of prayer cured her injuries was told her incapacity benefits could not be stopped because the government's computers didn't have a “miracle” button. As a result, June Clarke of…
Al Gore named ‘Baptist of the Year’
(RNS) Former Vice President Al Gore has been named “Baptist of the Year” by EthicsDaily.com, the Web site of the Baptist Center for Ethics. “He has pressed for the global good with a compelling message about the danger of climate…
FAITH DIGEST
BWA's Coffey honored by Queen. The president of the Baptist World Alliance became an officer of the Order of the British Empire Jan. 2. David Coffey, a Briton who has served as the BWA's president since 2005, recevied the honor…
Seminary student charged with abuse
RALEIGH, N.C. (ABP) — Police have charged a Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary student with sexually abusing a 10-year-old child at an after-hours YMCA program, re-emphasizing the growing problem of sex abuse among Southern Baptist clergy. It's not the first time…
Time to revamp discipleship methods?
More than two decades after he helped many Baptist churches breathe new life into discipleship training, Roy Edgemon believes it's time take a new look at how churches make disciples. In the early 1980s, the Southern Baptist Convention's Sunday School…