COLUMBIA, S.C. (ABP) – The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of South Carolina and Baptist studies program at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary are sponsoring four sessions over two days with Brian McLaren, a popular author and leader in the “emergent” church. Brian…
Church building homes for victims of spring tornadoes
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. (ABP) – A Baptist church near the path of one of the tornadoes that swept across Alabama in April is halfway toward a goal of building 10 houses for people who lost homes and did not have insurance….
Violence taking toll on Syria’s Christians
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (ABP) – Many Christians have fled Syria as a result of public demonstrations and violent government crackdowns in the Middle Eastern country over the past several months, officials of the Baptist World Alliance reported Sept. 14. BWA…
Wake Forest endowed chair honors Baptist leaders
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (ABP) – Church history professor Bill J. Leonard has been named the first James and Marilyn Dunn Chair of Baptist Studies at the Wake Forest University School of Divinity, officials at the school in Winston-Salem, N.C., announced Sept….
Clergy seek clemency for death-row inmate
ATLANTA (ABP) – More than 3,000 clergy and religious leaders from various faith traditions have endorsed a letter seeking clemency for a death-row inmate scheduled for execution in Georgia Sept. 29. Troy Davis Organizers plan to hand-deliver the letter to…
Court upholds graduations in church
MADISON, Wis. (ABP) – A federal court ruled Sept. 9 that two Wisconsin public high schools’ practice of holding graduation ceremonies in a church did not violate the constitutionally mandated separation of church and state. A divided three-judge panel of…
Baptist university president plans August 2012 retirement
HANNIBAL, Mo. (ABP) — Hannibal-LaGrange University President Woodrow Burt plans to retire next year. Woodrow Burt Now in his 18th year as the institution's head, Burt announced at the HLGU board of trustees meeting Sept. 9 that he will step…
CBF officers seek search committee members
ATLANTA (ABP) – Elected leaders of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship are seeking names to consider for a search committee to recommend a replacement for the moderate Baptist organization’s retiring CEO. Daniel Vestal, executive coordinator of the Atlanta-based CBF since 1996,…
State department cites religious freedom violations
WASHINGTON (ABP) – The State Department released an annual report Sept. 13 detailing violations of religious freedom around the world. Suzan Johnson Cook Suzan Johnson Cook, an ordained Baptist minister recently sworn in as United States ambassador-at-large for international religious…