JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Baptist congregations will increasingly take on more direct responsibility for international mission, freeing full-time missionaries to focus their energies in countries that restrict Christian evangelism, says the retiring executive of the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board….
Open mission positions may be ‘God moment,’ says SBC task force chair
ROGERS, Ark. — Impending vacancies in the top leadership positions of the Southern Baptist Convention’s two mission boards offer unique opportunities for the denomination as it considers new ways to engage its mission enterprise, says the chair of a task…
Jerry Rankin to retire as IMB president in July 2010
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jerry Rankin announced Sept. 16 he will retire as president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board this summer, ending a 17-year tenure as head of the mission agency. Rankin will be 68 when he retires…
Cecil Sherman honored as ABP’s Religious Freedom Award recipient
RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) — Cecil Sherman, a pivotal figure in moderate Baptist life for the past half century, was recognized Sept. 10 for his fierce commitment to religious freedom as Associated Baptist Press presented him one of its top awards…
Scandal-plagued pastor loses bid to regain National Baptist presidency
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Despite a highly publicized effort to regain the presidency of the nation's largest African-American Baptist denomination, disgraced pastor Henry Lyons overwhelmingly lost his election bid Sept. 10. Henry Lyons, a former president of the National Baptist Convention…
Virginia Baptist Mission Board seeking to fill long-term mission posts
A Venturer teaching English at a college in China. RICHMOND – The Virginia Baptist Mission Board is seeking to fill more than 20 long-term national and international mission positions in its Venturers program, a board leader announced Sept. 8. The…
VBMB executive committee hears reports during regular meeting
RICHMOND –The Virginia Baptist Mission Board’s executive committee heard a variety of reports – both from individuals and from committees assigned specific duties — during its regularly scheduled session Sept. 8. Eddie Stratton, treasurer of the Baptist General Association of…
FAITH DIGEST
Most U.S. Catholics ambivalent about Latin Mass. Two years after Pope Benedict XVI eased restrictions on celebrating the Latin Mass, more than six in 10 American Catholics have no opinion on the return of the traditional liturgy, according to a…
Wardens walk fine line on religious materials for inmates
SAN QUENTIN, Calif. (RNS) — For Jarvis Masters, his Buddhist journals bring peace from the panic he feels on death row in California’s San Quentin State Prison. An article titled “Life in Relation to Death” by a Tibetan Buddhist lama…
Documentary-style film asks, How did the gospel become so divisive?
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Even though he always was taught religion and politics shouldn’t be discussed in polite company, Dan Merchant decided someone needed to start the conversation. In his documentary-style film, Lord, Save Us from Your Followers, which hits theaters…
Does Lit 101 lead to unbelief? Do teachers-in-training pray more?
WASHINGTON (RNS) — As college students return to campus, a new study suggests some could be in danger of losing their religion. Economics professor Miles Kimball and researchers from the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research determined certain academic…
RIGHT OR WRONG: Religious liberty is at the core of ethics
I think the principle of religious liberty lies at the core of ethical decision-making, whether for an individual or a group. What do you think? I agree, because religious liberty is rooted in liberty of conscience, and some understanding of…