ARLINGTON, Texas (ABP) — A prominent African-American pastor has announced plans to ask the Southern Baptist Convention to amend its constitution to ban churches that condone racism. Dwight McKissic, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, said in a…
CBF leader seeks to rally churches to make up mission offering shortfall
ATLANTA (ABP) — A Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's leader is appealing to churches to step up contributions to an annual Offering for Global Missions running 30 percent behind projected receipts. At the end of April, receipts to the offering totaled just…
Passport vice president nominated as CBF moderator-elect
ATLANTA (ABP) — Colleen Burroughs, vice president of the Passport youth camping ministry she started with her husband in 1993, will be nominated as moderator-elect of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the Atlanta-based CBF announced May 24. If elected, she would…
Book draws on music of U2 to call for Christian unity
No caption submitted BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (ABP) — A new book written by a Baptist professor applies theological themes found in the music of the Irish rock band U2 to the quest for Christian unity. In Ecumenism Means You Too —…
Seminaries not preparing pastors to minister to disabled, some assert
WACO, Texas (ABP) — An expert in the field of disability ministry says theological seminaries are doing little to prepare ministers to deal with the estimated one in five Americans living with some kind of disability. “There is almost nothing in…
Welcoming people with special needs can mean spiritual, numerical growth
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (ABP) — Churches that do a good job of including members with special needs like autism often reap side benefits of a positive witness to their community and sometimes even numerical growth, says an expert in disability…
FIRST PERSON: Anybody can be a friend
NASHVILLE (ABP) — My 24-year-old son is a certified nursing assistant who provides care for three children — two with intellectual disabilities — four nights a week while their single mother is at work. Bob Allen One “benefit” of such…
Author describes what having an autistic child taught her about God
CINCINNATI (ABP) — Kathleen Deyer Bolduc, a nationally recognized author and speaker in the field of disability ministry, said she was unprepared to parent a special-needs child before the birth of her third son. Now 24, Joel has autism, intellectual…
Barriers of attitude block people with disabilities from full inclusion in churches
WASHINGTON (ABP) — A longtime advocate for people with disabilities said the greatest barriers to including special-needs individuals in churches are not architectural or language but rather barriers of attitude. “We have within us prejudices,” said Ginny Thornburgh, director of…