By Bob Allen A suggestion by the president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention that the group’s largest church disassociate with Southern Baptists wouldn’t have much effect on the convention’s bottom line. NewSpring Church, one of the fastest growing churches…
CBF forms ad hoc committee for implementation of global missions strategy
By Bob Allen The Governing Board of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship heard an initial report from an ad hoc group appointed in recent months to collaborate with a newly up-and-running Missions Council on how to retool the organization’s global missions…
BWA taps CBF as its liaison for religious liberty at the United Nations
By Bob Allen The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has agreed to function as liaison for religious liberty on behalf of the Baptist World Alliance, CBF Executive Coordinator Suzii Paynter reported to the group’s Governing Board Jan. 22. Paynter said BWA leaders…
Merger in Miami to bolster Christian ministry in Florida, leaders say
By Aaron Weaver and Carrie McGuffin Two well-known Cooperative Baptist Fellowship partner ministries — Touching Miami with Love in Miami, and Open House Ministries in Homestead, Fla. — have announced they will merge to expand their reach, serving children and youth from…
Kentucky Baptist leader opposes medical pot
By Bob Allen The leader of Kentucky’s largest religious organization voiced opposition Jan. 20 to a bill introduced in the state legislature legalizing the medical use of marijuana. “The very idea of thwarting the authority of the Food and Drug…
Buckner hits 3M mark in shoes-for-orphans program
By Lauren Hollon Sturdy Dulce Alquijay Raymundo of Jocotenango, Guatamala, smiled as Buckner social worker Perla Maldonado crouched beside her and slid new pink and white athletic shoes on her feet. Maldonado laced and tied them. They were ready to…
Partnerships can transform racial relations, says pastor
By Bob Allen Racial reconciliation can occur not only between individuals but also by way of transforming mission partnerships, a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship pastor said Jan. 15 at a conference for diverse Baptist groups in Atlanta. Jason Coker, pastor of…
After recantation, LifeWay withdraws ‘The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven’
By Bob Allen LifeWay Christian Resources agreed to stop selling a book about a child’s purported visit to heaven during a near-death experience in 2004 after the now-teenager recanted the story in an open letter to a Southern Baptist blog….
‘Holy irritant’ can move white, black Baptists beyond comfort zones, says preacher
By Bob Allen The current pastor of the spiritual home of Martin Luther King Jr. challenged a movement called the New Baptist Covenant to move beyond comfort zones of race and theology toward a “covenant community” characterized by “creative and…