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…
Booted pastor defends ‘nuanced’ view of LGBT inclusion
By Bob Allen A South Carolina Baptist pastor whose decision to officiate a same-sex wedding got his church kicked out of its local association and state convention says he is concerned about a culture within the Baptist faith that is…
Myers Park Baptist Church calls pastor
By Bob Allen A two-year search for a new pastor of Myers Park Baptist Church in Charlotte, N.C., ended Nov. 22 with the unanimous election of Benjamin Boswell. Boswell, 35, is the youngest senior pastor ever to serve at the…
Worshiping at the ‘little church on the mound’ stirs rural congregation
By Brian Kaylor The address for Union Mound Baptist Church says Elkland, Mo. That small, unincorporated city has one restaurant — located inside a gas station. Union Mound actually sits on top of a small hilltop about eight miles away…