DALLAS (ABP) — College students who feel called to work in ministry want to make a difference for God's kingdom. But a significant number don't believe the local church is the place to do it, according to guidance directors for…
Pastoral residency programs give needed mentoring for new pastors
DALLAS (ABP) — When a Baptist minister graduates from seminary or divinity school, what factors predict whether that person will succeed or fail in local church ministry? Educational training plays a part, as does the personality of the congregation the…
Illinois church knowingly placed convicted sex offender in pulpit
ROMEOVILLE, Ill. (ABP) – Despite warnings from a denominational official as well as another church, a Southern Baptist congregation near Chicago allowed a convicted child molester to preach for years. In the end, it took media inquiries for Jeffrey Hannah,…
Succession sometimes sticky when beloved pastor leaves
(ABP) — When the only pastor an entire generation at a church has known leaves, there's no set model for ensuring a smooth transition, experts say. The right way to do it at one time in a church's history may…
How long before the new pastor really feels part of a church?
(ABP) — When a beloved pastor leaves a church, the replacement often faces an uphill battle in winning the trust and respect of the congregation. Sometimes, the newcomer faces a challenge simply in getting people to remember his name. Winfred…
North Carolina WMU decides to leave convention’s control
CARY, N.C. (ABP) — The Woman's Missionary Union of North Carolina has voted to remove itself from the North Carolina Baptist Building — and the state convention executive director's attempt to assert authority over its staff. The dramatic move culminates…
Southern Baptist morality activist confesses to soliciting prostitute
SALISBURY, N.C. (ABP) — Moral activist and conservative Southern Baptist Convention leader Coy Privette received “deferred prosecution” on six charges of aiding and abetting prostitution during his hearing Aug. 22. Privette, a Rowan County, N.C., commissioner and former executive director…
Will Huckabee’s strong Iowa showing bring money, credibility to campaign?
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Could a Baptist preacher become the Republican Party's vice-presidential nominee – or more? Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's surprisingly strong showing in the Aug. 11 Iowa Straw Poll has significantly raised the profile of the pastor-turned-politician. But…
Louisiana College to open law school named for SBC leader Paul Pressler
PINEVILLE, La. (ABP) — Baptist-affiliated Louisiana College will establish a new “biblical” law school named after Paul Pressler, the Texas appeals-court judge better known for leading the conservative takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention. The college hopes to open the…
Another prominent SBC church beset by controversy over pastor’s leadership
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — The integrity of another prominent Southern Baptist pastor has been called into question by members of his megachurch — this one in the shadow of the Southern Baptist Convention's headquarters. Local and national news agencies have…
Falwell’s life insurance policy erases Liberty University debt
LYNCHBURG, VA. (ABP) — Thanks to a substantial life insurance policy on the late Jerry Falwell, the university he founded is now debt-free, according to university officials. Jerry Falwell, Jr., Liberty University's chancellor and son of its founder, announced the…
Guest opinion: Remembering all of the Baptist past
I must confess that I do not share the concern voiced across the spectrum of Baptist life that Baptists are afflicted by historical amnesia. My concerns lie elsewhere, and so I must explain. What is amnesia? It results in a…