Baptists who celebrate the 400th birthday of their denomination in 2009 miss the mark by about 1,600 years, some Baptists insist. Since Jesus founded his church during his earthly ministry and promised “the gates of hell shall not prevail against…
Historians debate reasons for rise of Landmarkism in 19th century
All Landmark Baptists believe in church succession, at least to some degree, but not every Baptist holding that position is — or was — a Landmarker, according to Alan Lefever, director of the Texas Baptist Historical Collection. Neither J.M. Carroll,…
Baptist history a continuing search for the New Testament church
WACO, Texas (ABP) — Some Baptists stress evangelism, and others emphasize the social gospel. Some believe Christ died for all people; others say Christ died only for the elect whom God predestined to salvation. Historically, some defended slavery; others championed…
Historians debate reasons for rise of Landmarkism in 19th century
WACO, Texas (ABP) — All Landmark Baptists believe in church succession, at least to some degree, but not every Baptist holding that position is — or was — a Landmarker, according to Alan Lefever, director of the Texas Baptist Historical…
Who founded the Baptist movement– John Smyth or John the Baptist?
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (ABP) — Baptists who celebrate the 400th birthday of their denomination in 2009 miss the mark by about 1600 years, some Baptists insist. Since Jesus founded his church during his earthly ministry and promised “the gates of…
Historians trace beginning of Baptist movement back 400 years
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (ABP) — Some Christians before 1609 held what many refer to as distinctively Baptist beliefs. Baptists in 1609 practiced believer’s baptism, but they didn’t immerse. Even so, most church historians agree Baptists emerged as a distinct movement 400…
Texas Baptists defer name change proposal
FORT WORTH, Texas (ABP) — The Baptist General Convention of Texas elevated to its highest office the son of a former president, deferred action on a proposed name change and approved a reduced budget for 2009 at its most sparsely…
Baptist hymnody largely settles for two out of three in Trinity
Hymns sung in most Baptist churches historically have been “More About Jesus” than about either God the Father or the Holy Spirit, several church music experts agree. “From a Baptist perspective, I don't think the hymnody has ever been Trinitarian,”…
Religious ‘test’ for public office? Yes and No
American Christians may pledge loyalty to the U.S. Constitution. But behind the closed curtain of the polling booth, many violate the spirit of the constitutional prohibition on any religious test for public office. And several church-state experts insist that's not…
Human rights and wrongs
ATLANTA — Most evangelical American Christians remained silent about torture at Abu Ghraib and Guan-tanamo for some of the same reasons European Christians 70 years ago largely failed to resist the Holocaust, ethicist David Gushee told a na-tional summit on…
Not all coercive force is torture, Baptist ethicist insists
Debate over the morality of coercive force would be served better if everyone involved quit using the word “torture” altogether, said Daniel Heimbach, professor of Christian ethics at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. “The problem here is that in hotly debating…
Torture fails to ensure national security, experts insist
ATLANTA — Retired high-ranking military officers and national security experts at a national summit on torture agreed — a policy that permits torture does not make the United States or its troops safer. Speaking on the seventh anniversary of terrorist…