AMMAN, Jordan (ABP) — The exiled pastor of Gaza Baptist Church began teaching Aug. 16 at Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary following a three-week visit to his homeland to preach, teach and distribute food and medicine to the poor. "While food…
Baptist leader says Obama wrong about Ground Zero mosque
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — The head of the Southern Baptist Convention's moral concerns agency said Aug. 14 that he disagreed with President Obama's assessment that Muslims have a constitutional right to build the so-called Ground Zero mosque in New York…
Former Virginia Baptist church secretary charged with embezzlment
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (ABP) — The former financial secretary of a Virginia Baptist church has been arrested on charges that she embezzled nearly $300,000 in church funds over the course of years. Police say Michele M. Roberts, 61, stole $287,678…
British Baptist minister jailed in Virginia on child molestation charges
FAIRFAX, Va. (ABP) — A British Baptist minister is being held in a Virginia jail on charges of child molestation. Robert Dando, senior minister of Worcester Park Baptist Church in Surrey, United Kingdom, was arrested July 24 in Oakton, Va. He is…
Longtime mission leader Avery Willis dies
BELLA VISTA, Ark. (ABP) — Avery Willis, a former Southern Baptist missionary and administrator best known as developer of the MasterLife discipleship materials used around the world, died July 30, nearly eight months after being diagnosed with a rare form of…
Physical and spiritual exercise meet in NIA, divinity student says
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — Claire McKeever, a Baylor University graduate studying for the ministry at Vanderbilt Divinity School, preaches that worship isn’t just for the soul. McKeever teaches NIA, Neuromuscular Integrative Action, at the Green Hills YMCA in Nashville, Tenn….
Faith & Fitness: Exercise good, but only in moderation
NEW YORK (ABP) — The sixth chapter of First Corinthians describes the body as “a temple of the Holy Spirit.” For many Christians that means what they do with their body matters to God, including physical fitness. A few, however,…
BJC files brief opposing sectarian prayer at government meetings
WASHINGTON (ABP) — The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty filed legal papers July 6 arguing that inviting religious leaders to invoke sectarian prayers a North Carolina county's board of commissioners meetings is unconstitutional. The BJC filed a brief of…
Westboro Baptist Church claims military funeral protests are protected by the First Amendment
TOPEKA, Kan. (ABP) — A fundamentalist Baptist church known for picketing funerals of fallen soldiers argued in a U.S. Supreme Court brief filed July 7 that its actions are protected by the Constitution. Margie Phelps — attorney of record for…