The 71 members are plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed against church leaders last year alleging improper spending practices and seeking access to financial records. The ouster attempt was proposed by embattled pastor Jerry Sutton and the deacon chair, Carlos Cobos….
Nashville megachurch fails to oust dissident members
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — A May 4 vote to oust 71 dissident members of Nashville, Tenn., megachurch Two Rivers Baptist Church failed by four votes — less than half a percent. The 71 members are plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed…
Christ identifies with poor, Vestal tells Baylor students
WACO, Texas (ABP) — God identifies with the poor and the powerless, and Christians encounter Christ when they serve the weakest of the world's citizens, Daniel Vestal recently told a group of social-work students at Baylor University. “Concern for the…
Crowded SBC presidential field grows by 2: Avery Willis, Johnny Hunt
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (ABP) — A crowded field of hopefuls for the Southern Baptist Convention presidency appears to be developing, with two high-profile candidates set to join three already-announced nominees. Retired SBC International Mission Board executive Avery Willis and Atlanta-area pastor…
Half of SBC churches could die before 2030, president predicts
CARY, N.C. (ABP) — The Southern Baptist Convention is rapidly dying, and resistance to change could kill over half of the denomination's churches by 2030, the outgoing SBC president said May 1. Unless something is done to reverse the downward…
Half of SBC churches could die before 2030, president predicts
CARY, N.C. (ABP) — The Southern Baptist Convention is rapidly dying, and resistance to change could kill over half of the denomination's churches by 2030, the outgoing SBC president said May 1. Unless something is done to reverse the downward…
Upcoming ‘Manifesto’ rebukes evangelicals for becoming pawns
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Several prominent conservative Christian leaders, in a joint statement to be unveiled May 7, are rebuking their fellow American evangelicals for allowing secular politics to co-opt their faith. “An Evangelical Manifesto,” set to be released at a…
Grassley targets ministries’ alleged abuse of tax laws
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Sen. Chuck Grassley insists he’s not trying to impose his Baptist theology on Pentecostal and Charismatic ministries; he simply wants them to obey the tax laws. The Iowa Republican has drawn fire for using his position as…
Tiny New York church does outsized ministry
NEW YORK (ABP) — Matthew is one of the many stories that make up Manhattan — and little Metro Baptist Church's outsized ministry. The young musician came to New York with dreams of making it big in the industry —…
CBF partnering with churches in Spanish-speaking Caribbean
ATLANTA (ABP) — The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has a new answer for an old question being asked by many CBF churches: “How do we reach Hispanics living in our community?” The new answer? “Partner with churches from Spanish-speaking countries.” “Such…
Congressional Black Caucus honors Georgetown College
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Extraordinary efforts at fostering diversity and building relationships with African-American Baptists earned Georgetown College special recognition April 30 in Washington. In a United States Capitol ceremony, officials of the Congressional Black Caucus recognized the Georgetown, Ky.-based Baptist…
Opinion: On homosexuality, whose narrative do we believe?
(ABP) — My column of a month ago related to homosexuality garnered more feedback than any opinion piece that I have ever written. The response surprised me in that it was overwhelmingly positive, with a few notable exceptions. I heard…