By Brian Kaylor On the second Sunday of Advent, the lawn of Highland Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., was covered with wooden crosses like one sees in a military cemetery. Each cross — about 75 of them — will represent…
Church adopts Kenyan woman’s cause to fight female mutilation
By George Henson Carolyne Gachibi left Kenya to escape a nightmare only to find a Texas church willing to make her dreams come true — and help other girls attain an education and avoid female genital mutilation. But she has paid…
Duke study quantifies ‘stained-glass ceiling’
This story was updated Dec. 9 with additional information. By Bob Allen Despite well-publicized reports of women making inroads as pastors of large churches and leaders of religious organizations, the percentage of congregations led by a woman is about the…
FBC Washington elects pastor
By Bob Allen Members of the First Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., voted Dec. 6 to call Julie Pennington-Russell as senior pastor. Pennington-Russell, long active in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, is the 19th senior pastor in the church’s 213-year history and the…
Black, white ‘First Baptist’ congregations unite after 150 years
By Bob Allen Two historic congregations that went separate ways after the Civil War worshipped for the first time in more than 150 years as a unified First Baptist Church of Murfreesboro, Tenn., Nov. 29. First Baptist Church at 200…
D.C. church postponing vote on gay marriage
By Bob Allen With the anticipated ending of a search for a new pastor, First Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., has postponed a vote scheduled in February about whether to change the congregation’s wedding policy to permit same-sex marriage. An…
Ms. Pennington-Russell goes to Washington
Editor’s note: This story was updated Dec. 3 based on new information. It also corrects errors about the distance from the White House and clarifies that Harry Truman attended the church but was not a member. Baptist News Global regrets…
A Philadelphia story, with a bright future
The offer seemed at first like manna from heaven. A developer walked into First Baptist Church of Philadelphia and offered $2 million to buy the historic 68,000 square foot building that was suffocating the tiny congregation with constant maintenance. He…
Partnership saves historic Baptist church
By Bob Allen A unique partnership involving government, preservationists and a community theater group has helped rescue a historically significant but endangered Baptist church building in Massachusetts. The stately First Baptist Church, a fixture in downtown New Bedford, Mass., since…