ST. LOUIS (ABP) — This fall, Missouri Baptist University in suburban St. Louis will join a handful of other schools nationwide in offering a women’s wrestling program. MBU officials hope the program will help more of the small liberal-arts institution’s…
Troubled Texas WMU seeks healing with interim director
On the first day of their June 16-17 board meeting, directors learned the organization’s executive committee had hired Nelda Seal, former executive director of Louisiana WMU, for the post 11 days earlier. On June 17, members introduced a bylaws revision…
Alma Hunt, longtime Baptist missions advocate, dead at 98
Hunt’s influence remained profound over the next 34 years as a volunteer worker with the Baptist World Alliance, the Southern Baptist Convention’s Foreign (now International) Mission Board, Global Women and numerous Virginia Baptist organizations. “[Alma Hunt] heralded the cause of…
SBC officials reject idea of sex-offender database
The move came in response to a motion, passed nearly unanimously by messengers to last year’s SBC meeting, asking officials to study the database idea. Oklahoma pastor and former International Mission Board trustee Wade Burleson requested a feasibility study for…
SBC resolution could shrink church membership rolls further
The resolution, which reflects the growing influencing of Calvinism in the SBC, comes on the heels of denominational statistics that showed the 16 million-member convention shrinking. Membership fell in 2007 for the second time in a decade. Even more discouraging,…
Texas church targeted for ouster from SBC over homosexuality
Sanderson’s motion, like the one targeting female pastors, was referred to the SBC Executive Committee, which handles the business of the convention during the rest of the year. If eventually approved by the SBC next year, the effect of the…
Radical Islam among 4 apocalyptic forces threatening America, SBC’s Land says
Land, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, spoke during his agency’s report to the SBC annual meeting in Indianapolis. He saved his toughest words for radical Islam, which he called a “death cult.”…
Caspian more violent than virtuous, scholars say; but what about 3rd movie?
What ensues is a storyline that is noticeably more violent than The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Ralph Wood, professor of Lewis and Tolkien literature at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, noticed the difference between the two movies. He…
Heritage Tour of New England
The brilliant fall colors of New England! A brilliant Baptist scholar! Heritage Tour of New England Oct. 3-8, 2008, Providence, R.I. Join Dr. Walter Shurden Renowned Baptist historian and minister-at-large, Mercer University Sponsored by Associated Baptist Press Celebrating the 400th…
Volunteers in missions: Short-term workers make long-term impact
COLUMBIA, Mo. (ABP) — Kevin and Naomi Scantlan of Columbia, Mo. feel called to international missions. But as integrated technology services analysts at University of Missouri Health Care and church lay leaders, committing to years abroad really isn't feasible. That's…
SBC officials reject idea of sex-offender database
INDIANAPOLIS (ABP) — Citing Baptists' “belief in the autonomy of each local church,” a Southern Baptist Convention official announced May 10 that the denomination's Executive Committee would not support the creation of a database of sexual offenders in SBC churches….
Baptists to have place to worship, baptize near historic Jordanian site
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Baptist visitors to Jordan will soon have a place to worship near the historic spot traditionally viewed as the site of Jesus' baptism. King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein of Jordan has conveyed a plot of land…