LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (ABP) — A highly publicized bill that would have allowed worshipers to carry concealed weapons in Arkansas churches died Feb. 25 in the state Senate. The proposal to amend the state’s concealed-weapons law to remove “any church…
Increasingly, Baptists turning to observance of Lent
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — Though traditionally viewed as a Catholic rite, increasing numbers of Baptists are discovering the discipline of Lent. Growing from the free-church branch of Protestantism, Baptists traditionally have been highly suspicious of virtually all of the rituals…
Southern Baptists, Catholics show membership decline, yearbook notes
NEW YORK (ABP) — The nation’s two largest Christian denominations are experiencing slight but statistically significant membership declines, according to the latest edition of the National Council of Churches’ Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches. The 77th annual compilation of…
Parachurch groups not feeling pinch
WINCHESTER, Va. (ABP) — Faith-based charities haven’t been hit as hard by the economic downturn as expected, a new survey by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability indicates. The ECFA, established in 1979 to accredit Christian non-profit organizations that model…
Bill to permit guns in churches revived in wake of pastor’s shooting
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (ABP) — An Arkansas lawmaker says she will reintroduce a bill to allow concealed weapons in churches after a deadly Illinois church shooting March 8. State Rep. Beverly Pyle (R-Cedarville) originally introduced a measure Jan. 29 to remove "any…
Baptists getting older, study says
HARTFORD, Conn. (ABP) — Baptists may be the grayest of any major religious group in America, according to a study released March 9 by Trinity College of connecticut. The 2008 American Religious Identification Survey, the third set of data in…
Bill Leonard stepping down as dean of Wake Forest divinity school
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (ABP) — The founding dean of the Wake Forest University Divinity School is stepping down next year, school officials announced March 5. Bill Leonard Bill Leonard will retire from that post June 30, 2010. But he will continue…
Former Baptist deacon charged with attempted robbery of South Carolina bank
TAYLORS, S.C. (ABP) — An active member and former deacon at one of South Carolina's most historic Baptist churches faces charges of kidnapping and attempted robbery of a bank Feb. 26. Bruce Lee Windsor, 43, was held on bond totaling…
Eye-catching, eco-friendly church structure turns heads in North Carolina city
RALEIGH, N.C. (ABP) —Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, which celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2009, is turning heads with a new eco-friendly building addition that eases overcrowding, allows for expanded missions and establishes a strong architectural presence along a prominent business…