WASHINGTON (RNS) — Former vampire novelist Anne Rice says she’s leaving Christianity again because she no longer wants to be identified with such a “quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group.” Anne Rice Born and raised a Catholic, Rice left…
Ground Zero controversy part of rise in anti-Islamic sentiment, experts say
WASHINGTON (ABP) — The most recent prominent spat in the United States over building a new Islamic facility — the so-called “Ground Zero mosque” in New York — is indicative of a broader movement that is becoming increasingly suspicious of…
NOTES FROM THE FIELD: Getting there and getting started
For several years, Virginia Baptist mission teams have ministered on the Standing Rock Reservation, the fourth largest Native American reservation in the U.S, straddling the border of North and South Dakota. Michael Clingenpeel, pastor of River Road Church, Baptist, in…
Religious persecution around the world crosses faith lines, say advocates for freedom
HONOLULU – Persecution of religious groups around the world isn’t restricted to Christians, two advocates for religious liberty told a focus group meeting during the Baptist World Congress. Christer Daelander, religious freedom representative for the European Baptist Federation, reported that…
Missions demands local strategies, global vision, panelists assert
HONOLULU—Innovative missions today demand contextualized ministries shaped by local churches—not one-size-fits-all imported strategies implemented by professionals, a missions professor from Texas and a pastor from South Australia told a focus group at the Baptist World Congress. Mike Stroope, missions professor…
Christianity’s relation to culture a matter of spiritual discernment
HONOLULU—Should Christians ever abandon their cultures for the sake of the gospel? Baptists from all over the planet struggled with what to “embrace” and what to “release” of their cultures during a discussion session held in conjunction with the 20th…
Christians must liberate & be liberated, seminarian tells BWA
HONOLULU — Christians are called to be agents of liberation, but they also desperately need to be liberated themselves, ministry educator Janet Clark stressed at the 20th Baptist World Congress in Honolulu July 30. Jesus focused on liberation in his…
Become ‘jubilee people,’ pastor tells world Baptists
HONOLULU—Christians are called to join Jesus as “jubilee people,” Australian pastor Allan Demond told participants at the 20th Baptist World Congress in Honolulu July 31. “Imagine if there was a place on earth where God’s Spirit breathed righteousness and truth…
Liberation should mark Christianity’s mission and ministry, says educator
HONOLULU — Liberation marked the ministry of Jesus Christ, and it should characterize the mission of God’s people today, a professor and advocate for marginalized women told the Baptist World Congress. Alongla Aier, cofounder of the Oriental Theological Seminary in…