For many years, my journey in the “care of souls” has led me to walk alongside those who are grieving. This path has taken me from a ministry setting to managing a mental health department in a maximum security prison,…
Ruling removes what has been called the most important tax benefit available to ministers
(ABP) — A federal judge said Nov. 23 that an IRS rule allowing clergy to avoid paying taxes on a part of their income designated as a housing allowance violates the constitutionally mandated separation of church and state. Senior United…
Church giving has reached Depression-era record lows, according to Christian research group
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Collection plates are growing even lighter as Protestant church member giving reached new lows in 2011, and tithing probably will not recover from the recession, according to a new report by Empty Tomb, a Christian research group….
Delegation, collaboration and prayer are key to managing disasters, say Baptist relief managers
(ABP) — A devastating tornado in Oklahoma May 20 capped a busy year for Baptist disaster-relief coordinators, who have dealt with tornadoes ripping through Georgia, Mississippi and Texas, flooding in the Midwest and the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas….
ANALYSIS: Will the Kermit Gosnell verdict change the abortion debate?
(RNS) — Even before rogue abortionist Kermit Gosnell was convicted in Philadelphia on May 13 of delivering and then killing late-term infants, abortion opponents were convinced they had a case that could reshape an abortion debate that has remained static…
What now for West, Texas? The challenge comes when public attention goes away
What now for West, Texas? The challenge comes when public attention goes away Marv Knox and Jeff Brumley (ABP) — The outpouring of sympathy and solidarity for West, Texas, has been immense since a fertilizer plant explosion killed 15 —…
What now for West, Texas? The challenge comes when public attention goes away
(ABP) — The outpouring of sympathy and solidarity for West, Texas, has been immense since a fertilizer plant explosion killed 15 — including 12 first-responders — on April 17. Thursday’s memorial in nearby Waco underscored that by drawing thousands, including…
Religious liberty is Baptists’ ‘gift to the nation,’ says new director of faith-based office
WASHINGTON — The new head of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships told reporters March 22 she values Baptists’ “special gift to the nation” — religious liberty — and looks forward to tackling religious liberty issues in…
U.S. House funds disaster aid for churches
WASHINGTON (ABP) — The U.S. House of Represen-tatives overwhelmingly ap-proved a bill Feb. 13 to allow houses of worship damaged by Hurricane Sandy to receive disaster aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, despite warnings by advocacy groups that the…
Suzii Paynter elected Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s executive coordinator
ATLANTA (ABP) — Lay denominational worker Suzii Paynter of Austin, Texas, was elected Feb. 21 as the third executive coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. The CBF Coordinating Council unanimously elected Paynter, whose nomination was announced Jan. 17 after a…
Student ministry leader Louie Giglio to pray at inauguration
(ABP) — A Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary graduate, whose student ministry at Baylor University exploded into the Passion Movement encountering millions of students and young adults, will deliver the benediction at President Obama’s inaugural swearing-in ceremony Jan. 21. The Presidential…
GuideStone continues opposition to contraceptive regulations
DALLAS — GuideStone Financial Services, a manager of pension funds for many Baptist church employees in the Mid-Atlantic, announced Feb. 4 it continues to oppose contraceptive regulations. On Tuesday, Feb. 5, just four days after the administration released the healthcare…