WASHINGTON (ABP) — President Obama, in an unprecedented Aug. 19 Internet conference that organizers said drew 140,000 participants, appealed to faith leaders to boost his attempts to reform America’s health-care system. But some conservative religious leaders are fighting back against Obama’s plan,…
Professor chooses church over seminary job
FORT WORTH, Texas (ABP) — A music professor has taken early retirement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary rather than resigning a part-time position and moving his membership from a church that the Southern Baptist Convention declared out of fellowship in…
Baptists respond to Taiwan typhoon
FALLS CHURCH (ABP) — Baptists in Taiwan are assisting victims of Typhoon Morakot, which made landfall in the southern part of the island just before midnight on Aug. 7. By Aug. 18, 126 people have been confirmed dead, but government…
Former HMB president says NAMB merger was a mistake
CENTRALIA, Mo. (ABP) — Combining three Southern Baptist agencies into the North American Mission Board in 1995 was a bad idea, says the last president of one of the agencies. Larry Lewis, president of the Home Mission Board of the…
North Carolina convention cuts jobs
CARY, N.C. (ABP) — With income trailing last year's gifts by 3.2 percent or $647,000 through seven months, the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina has laid off three people and eliminated six positions, effective immediately. Two of the…
Anderson helps homeless ‘get back on their feet’ in North Carolina
SCOTLAND NECK, N.C. (ABP) — James walked in Union Mission’s building with purpose. He stood tall, proud but worried. His shift had been eliminated and now he didn’t have a job or a place to live. He spent the previous…
Floyd encouraged after first Great Commission task force meeting
ATLANTA (BP)–The task force charged with helping spark a "Great Commission resurgence" among Southern Baptists held its first meeting Aug. 11-12 in Atlanta, and chairman Ronnie Floyd came away feeling both encouraged by the spirit of the gathering and burdened…
Cecil Sherman to receive freedom award — again
RICHMOND (ABP) — Exactly one year to the day after honoring Cecil Sherman with its Religious Freedom Award in a private presentation in a Houston hospital room where the prominent Baptist leader was fighting for his life, Associated Baptist Press…
South African Baptists seeking Virginia volunteers as they minister during soccer’s World Cup
PRETORIA, South Africa — Baptists in South Africa are joining other denominations across their nation to offer ministry during one of professional sport’s biggest events next year — soccer’s World Cup, to be hosted by South Africa June 11-July 11, 2010….