By Bob Allen The Florida Baptist Convention plans to appeal a jury’s decision to award $12.5 million in damages in a lawsuit claiming Baptist officials didn’t check far enough into the background of a church planter convicted in 2007 of…
State says murder suspect planned to wed boyfriend
By Bob Allen Prosecutors say a former minister at First Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., charged with his wife’s murder, was trying to leave the country prior to his Jan. 1 arrest to marry his boyfriend. The latest twist in…
Richard Shahan seeks $30,000 bond
By Bob Allen Lawyers for an Alabama Baptist minister arrested while trying to board a flight for Germany on a charge of murdering his wife are asking a judge to set a “reasonable” bond not to exceed $30,000 allowing his…
Pastor: Church heartbroken by murder, arrest
By Bob Allen The interim pastor of an Alabama church, whose former children’s minister is in jail on charges of murdering his wife, told church members Jan. 12 to rely on their faith amid struggles. “Not a one of us…
Former assn. secretary sentenced for theft
By Bob Allen The former financial secretary at an Alabama Baptist association will spend the night in jail for a year after pleading guilty of theft. Tonya Renee Woodward, 52, confessed in August to stealing money from the Columbia Baptist…
Life outside the fence
We humans don’t like living outside our comfort zone. We like familiar surroundings, familiar faces, and predictable routines. I’m just the same though to most folks it might look like my husband and I are already living outside of our…
Woman admits to embezzling church funds
By Bob Allen The former financial secretary at an Alabama Baptist association pleaded guilty Aug. 28 to stealing from her employer and was then arrested on additional charges claiming she took even more. Tonya Renee Woodward, 52, of Dothan, Ala.,…
Interim pastor consoles grieving church
By Bob Allen God did not cause last week’s brutal murder of a minister’s wife in a normally quiet neighborhood in Homewood, Ala., but is in control of the situation, the interim pastor of a grieving congregation said Sunday at…
Service set for slain minister’s wife
By Bob Allen A memorial service is scheduled Saturday for a Baptist minister’s wife found slain July 23 in her home in Birmingham, Ala. First Baptist Church of Birmingham released a statement July 25 announcing the death of long-time church…