By Bob Allen The head of a Baptist group that specializes in religious liberty said today he does not support controversial bills pitting religious conservatives against supporters of gay marriage in Arkansas and Indiana. J. Brent Walker, executive director of…
God wants Christians for ‘officiating crew,’ Evans tells The Gathering
By Marv Knox Standing near the end zone of Baylor University’s McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas, and comparing life to a football game, Dallas pastor Tony Evans insisted Christians must act as a divine “officiating crew” to interpret God’s rules…
Cal Baptist women’s tournament run comes up one game short
By Bob Allen In just their second season after moving up to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the California Baptist University women’s basketball Lancers were Cinderella in this year’s NCAA Division II championship tournament. Unranked going into the tournament and…
LifeWay’s Nashville campus under contract of sale
By Bob Allen LifeWay Christian Resources has found a buyer for its campus in downtown Nashville, Tenn., the Southern Baptist Convention publishing house announced March 24. Terms of the contract, including price, were not disclosed, pending closing of the sale…
CBF of N.C. focuses on transformation during annual meeting
By Robert Dilday and Norman Jameson Transformation — especially congregational transformation — topped the agenda of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina March 19-20 as affiliated churches and their members gathered for the group’s General Assembly in Charlotte, N.C….
State CBF group forging ties with historically black college
By Bob Allen The Kentucky Baptist Fellowship is forging a partnership with both a historically black college and a large African-American congregation whose pastor does double duty as its president. Bob Fox, moderator of the statewide affiliate of the Cooperative…
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center revives Center for Congregational Health
By Bob Allen Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is re-launching The Center for Congregational Health, shut down a year ago in a philosophy shift away from church consulting toward a new priority of involving congregations in community health care. “We…
Statement applauds American Baptists’ contributions to civil rights
By Bob Allen A leadership group in the American Baptist Churches USA adopted a statement March 13 celebrating the role of American Baptists in the civil rights movement and recognizing the 50th anniversary of the March 1965 five-day march from Selma, Ala., to…
Arkansas CBF celebrates turnaround of partner school
By Bob Allen The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Arkansas celebrated with a historically black Baptist college that recently dedicated a new building just months after emerging from cash-flow straits. Ray Higgins, coordinator of the statewide network of churches that support…
American Baptist College defends invitation to lesbian bishop
By Bob Allen Leaders of a historically black Baptist college say they have no intention of disinviting a speaker to campus because she is a lesbian. American Baptist College President Forrest Harris defended an invitation to Bishop Yvette Flunder to…
Arkansas Baptist College dedicates community center
By Bob Allen A year after facing lawsuits from creditors and doubts by an accrediting body that it could continue to fulfill its educational mission, a historically African-American Baptist college with close ties to a state Cooperative Baptist Fellowship celebrated…
McAfee students report transformed lives — their own — in teaching prisoners
By Jeff Brumley It’s been hard for some to fathom how a condemned prisoner earned a certificate in theology while on Georgia’s death row. Even one of those who taught Kelly Gissendaner says it’s amazing that she could write papers…