MACON, Ga. (ABP) — As one university affiliated with the Georgia Baptist Convention captured headlines with a new policy that effectively bans gay employees, another historically Georgia Baptist school announced adoption of a domestic-partner benefit policy providing access to health…
Shorter University adds new faith statements
ROME, Ga. (ABP) — Shorter University has adopted a new faith statement that affirms biblical inerrancy and is requiring faculty and staff to sign a pledge rejecting homosexuality. A new mandatory “personal lifestyle statement” asks employees to agree to “be…
CBF officers narrowing list of nominees for coordinator search committee
TUCKER, Ga. (ABP) — Officers of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship are sorting through some 200 names submitted by rank-and-file CBF supporters to appoint a nine-member search committee to nominate a successor to Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal, who retires after 15…
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship task force suggests organizational change
TUCKER, Ga. (ABP) — A blue-ribbon task force studying the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s organizational structure suggests a smaller governing board than the current 63-member Coordinating Council, along with creation of two new councils to focus on cooperation and global missions….
U.S. Supreme Court says World Vision can hire only Christians
WASHINGTON (ABP) — The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld a lower-court ruling that the Christian humanitarian organization World Vision can fire employees over religious doctrine. The high court declined without comment Oct. 3 to review an August 2010 ruling by…
White House condemns death sentence for Iranian Christian
WASHINGTON (ABP) — The White House condemned Sept. 29 the conviction of a pastor sentenced to death for converting from Islam to Christianity in Iran. Youcef Nadarkhani, 34, pastor of the Church of Iran, was tried and convicted of apostasy…
Matching church and clergy methods differ by denomination
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — Matching clergy supply and demand is a chief concern for all denominations, but various church traditions address it in different ways. Hierarchical denominations like Episcopalians, Methodists and Lutherans view matching clergy and congregations as part of…
Southern Baptist Convention considers name change
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — After 166 years as the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s second-largest religious body could be getting a new name. SBC President Bryant Wright announced Sept. 19 the appointment of a committee to study whether it is…
Singles ministry tough, but vital
RALEIGH, N.C. — Greg Belcher understands why many churches avoid keeping or starting a ministry specifically to "single adults." It's tough. A large part of the difficulty in singles ministry is the huge umbrella the term covers. "Singles" are not…