MEMPHIS, Tenn. (ABP) — Bellevue Baptist Church is on the cutting edge of a growing trend — at least when it comes to conflict. Like members from several other prominent churches nationwide, congregants at the Memphis-area megachurch are using web…
Showdown over Missouri exec ends in draw, sources say
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (ABP) — David Clippard remains executive director of the Missouri Baptist Convention, despite an apparent effort to oust him Sept. 22. Following a marathon, closed-door meeting at the convention building in Jefferson City, Executive Board members attempted…
What the Pope really said
Lost in the sound and fury of Islamic response to the Pope's perceived attack on Muhammad is his direct attack on the cherished assumptions of the secularized West. We in the West pride ourselves that our removal of faith from…
American Baptists will move historical collections to Atlanta
VALLEY FORGE, Pa. (ABP) — The American Baptist Historical Society, which claims the largest collection of Baptist resources in the world, is moving to the heart of the Deep South — Atlanta. The collection will have a new home on…
Making a difference: Churches mentor via Big Brothers Big Sisters program
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (ABP) — A Birmingham chapter of the national Big Brothers Big Sisters program is using a new, faith-based approach to matching adults with children in need of mentors. The initiative, called Faithful Friends, is unique to the agency…
Missouri Baptist executive targeted in Sept. 22 closed-door meeting
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (ABP) — The conservatives who control the Missouri Baptist Convention are divided over the leadership of their executive director, David Clippard, who could face a vote of dismissal tomorrow (Sept. 22). A closed-door meeting of the board…
William Carey University president Larry Kennedy succumbs to ALS
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (ABP) — Larry Kennedy, the president of William Carey University, died Sept. 21. He was 64. The president of the Baptist-affiliated school since 1998, Kennedy died from complications with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease. He had…
Alliance directors approve next step in Cuba fine, new staffing plan
SILVER SPRING, Md. (ABP) — Directors of the Alliance of Baptists have authorized the next step in appealing a proposed $34,000 fine for alleged violations of the federal government's economic embargo on Cuba. Meeting in suburban Washington Sept. 14-16, the…
SBC Exec. Committee approves fiscal-responsibility amendment
NASHVILLE (ABP) — The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee approved Sept. 19 an amendment to convention documents that urges SBC leaders toward greater financial responsibility. Southern Baptist messengers will hear the recommendation at the June 2007 annual meeting in San…
Rotary-CBF partnership in La. town gets $500,000 from Bush-Clinton fund
ATLANTA (ABP) — The Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund has given a $500,000 grant for the hurricane-damaged community of Lacombe, La., where the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and an Arkansas Rotary Club are working together. Already CBF and Rotary volunteers have restored more…
Many American teens lose faith in early adulthood, study says
DALLAS (ABP) — Six out of 10 teens involved in a church will probably not continue their spiritual commitment into early adulthood, according to a Sept. 11 study by the Barna Group. The study, conducted from 2001 to 2006, shows…
NASCAR great Shepherd finds ‘victory in Jesus’
CONOVER, N.C. (ABP) — At 64 years old, and without a major sponsor, Morgan Shepherd is the oldest active driver on the NASCAR's Nextel circuit. While most of his contemporaries have long since left the track, he recently qualified for…