OKLAHOMA CITY — The world’s brokenness calls out for Christians who will speak courageously on behalf of justice and fairness, a trio of pastors told participants at the New Baptist Covenant II satellite sessions in Oklahoma City. About 200 people…
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship marks anniversary with laughter, hope
TAMPA, Fla.– The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship looked back in laughter and forward in hope at a celebration banquet marking its 20th anniversary June 22. So-called moderates who lost a bitter 12-year battle for control of the Southern Baptist Convention founded…
Fighting hunger makes economic and political sense, Christian activist says
DALLAS — Despite deep divisions in U.S. society, Christians can lead the way toward bipartisan solutions to the pain of poverty, insisted one of the world’s top hunger fighters. “Church people — whose congregations often span the political spectrum —…
BWAid head Paul Montacute plans to retire, committee learns
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (ABP) — Paul Montacute, director of the Baptist World Alliance's relief-and-recovery arm BWAid, will retire in July 2012, the BWA executive committee learned in meetings March 7-9. BWA leaders are expected to elect a successor to Montacute,…
Baylor regents vote to allow non-Baptists on governing board
DALLAS — The governing body of Baylor University, the world’s largest Baptist academic institution, now may include Christians who are not Baptists. Baylor’s board of regents voted Feb. 11 to amend the university’s bylaws, allowing members who are active in…
Become ‘jubilee people,’ pastor tells world Baptists
HONOLULU—Christians are called to join Jesus as “jubilee people,” Australian pastor Allan Demond told participants at the 20th Baptist World Congress in Honolulu July 31. “Imagine if there was a place on earth where God’s Spirit breathed righteousness and truth…
Science vs. religion? It’s an unnecessary battle, say panelists
HONOLULU—Science and religion do not need to quarrel, a molecular engineer and an ethicist told participants at the 20th Baptist World Congress. Clayton Teague, director of the U.S. National Nanotechnology Coordination Office, and Bill Tillman, professor of Christian ethics at…
Christianity’s relation to culture a matter of spiritual discernment
HONOLULU—Should Christians ever abandon their cultures for the sake of the gospel? Baptists from all over the planet struggled with what to “embrace” and what to “release” of their cultures during a discussion session held in conjunction with the 20th…
Christians must liberate & be liberated, seminarian tells Baptist World Alliance
HONOLULU — Christians are called to be agents of liberation, but they also desperately need to be liberated themselves, ministry educator Janet Clark stressed at the 20th Baptist World Congress in Honolulu July 30. Jesus focused on liberation in his…
North American Baptists examine series of ‘shifts’
HONOLULU — Baptists from across Canada and the United States examined seven key “shifts” July 29 that have impacted the North American Baptist Fellowship. The NABF includes Baptists from the two predominantly English-speaking nations in North America. It held its…
If Jesus needed the Spirit, then so do Christians today, says U.S. pastor
HONOLULU — Today’s Christians need the Holy Spirit’s guidance, just like Jesus did 2,000 years ago, a U.S. pastor told participants at the Baptist World Congress. Julie Pennington-Russell joined 26 other Bible scholars to teach Scripture lessons in eight languages…
Preach good news, proclaim freedom, seminary president urges Baptists
HONOLULU — Preach Christ’s good news and proclaim freedom, seminary president Pablo Deiros challenged participants at the 20th Baptist World Congress in Honolulu July 29. “As Baptists, we need to realize the proclamation of the good news is the central…