By Jeff Brumley Iraqi-born teen Alfarouk Majid passed through a shower of confetti, glitter and applause to accept the “PASSPORT Camper for Life” certificate he received to mark his being the organization’s 100,000th camper. “The crowd cheered as we gave this…
Christian Index board disbands
By Bob Allen The board of the nation’s oldest continuously published religious newspaper has disbanded, and the 193-year-old Christian Index will come under the umbrella of the Georgia Baptist Convention, as part of a massive restructuring of the 3,600-church affiliate…
NCC asks US to lift quota on refugees
By Bob Allen The National Council of Churches, an ecumenical gathering of 37 member communions representing 45 million Americans, joined a call Sept. 14 urging President Obama to increase Syrian refugee resettlement in the United States. The NCC endorsed a…
Using urban church planting to engage unreached groups
By Brian Kaylor When East St. Louis is mentioned on the news, the focus usually remains on the crime rate and its status as one of the deadliest cities in the nation. However, when Kempton Turner walks around the Illinois…
Global Women taps new leader
By Bob Allen Stacy K. Blackmon, a 10-year veteran communicator, strategist and ministry leader, has been selected as the third executive director of Global Women, an ecumenical women’s missions organization with moderate Baptist ties. Blackmon, who most recently worked as…
Christian Index to cease print publication
By Bob Allen A Georgia Baptist newspaper that lays claim to being the nation’s oldest continuously published religious periodical will no longer appear in print after Dec. 31. Gerald Harris, 31st editor of the 193-year-old Christian Index, announced in an editorial…
S.C. Baptists seek answers from university trustees
By Bob Allen Leaders of the South Carolina Baptist Convention have asked officials at North Greenville University to explain circumstances around the departure of the school’s former president after an online video made it appear he was having an extramarital…
IMB head explains cutbacks in open letter
By Bob Allen The head of the Southern Baptist Convention International Mission Board, which recently announced plans to cut personnel by 600 to 800 jobs over the next six months, said in an open letter to Southern Baptists Sept. 4…
Philadelphia lawyers to investigate Baylor’s response to sexual assault
By Ken Camp Baylor University has hired a Philadelphia law firm to conduct an independent external investigation of how the school handled a football player’s sexual assault of a female student-athlete. Baylor’s board of regents retained the Pepper Hamilton firm’s…
Brewton-Parker profs ink Baptist Faith and Message
By Bob Allen The new president of Brewton-Parker College opened his administration by leading the faculty in signing the Baptist Faith and Message, a move the Christian Index predicted “will surely endear him to Georgia Baptists.” Steve Echols, former president…
Texas Baptist headquarters building transferred to Baylor nursing school
By Leah Reynolds Representatives of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board staff and Baylor University’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing joined in a “passing the mantle” ceremony Aug. 26. The event commemorated the legacy of Texas Baptists at…
Baptist university responds to video of former president
By Bob Allen Baptist-affiliated North Greenville University issued a statement saying its leaders are expected to lead Christ-centered lives after a video posted on YouTube showed what appeared to be a confrontation between the former president and his son over…