By Jeff Brumley Kent McKeever’s choice of Lenten sacrifice has already generated enough stares and media scrutiny to last him a lifetime. But that’s OK, he jokes, given the trade-off: a lot less laundry to do until Easter. “It’s very…
Union University murder suspect gets mental evaluation
By Bob Allen A Union University student charged with murdering his fiancée and staging it to look like a suicide is undergoing mental evaluation to determine if he is competent to stand trial. Charles Pittman, 21, a Christian ministry major…
SBC ethicist tight with Catholics, Mormons on shared public policy concerns
By Bob Allen The Southern Baptist Convention’s top spokesman for public policy said March 5 that in his first months on the job he is working closely with his Mormon and Roman Catholic counterparts on religious-liberty concerns. “These days, anyway,…
Moldovan who fights human trafficking to receive BWA human rights award
By Robert Dilday Ilie Coada, a Moldovan who has spent his career fighting human trafficking, is this year’s recipient of the Baptist World Alliance’s human rights award, the organization announced March 5. The Denton and Janice Lotz Human Rights Award…
Former youth pastor pleads to child porn charge
By Bob Allen A former Tennessee Baptist youth minister pleaded guilty Feb. 23 in federal court to possession of child pornography found on his cell phone during an investigation of his previous arrest on charges of statutory rape and sexual…
In sermon and blog, preacher laments ‘lily white’ Jesus
By Jeff Brumley As both a writer, comedian and a pastor, Susan Sparks knows how to work an audience and a congregation. And whether on stage or behind the pulpit, she also knows how to raise eyebrows and a temper…
Jury awards $2.3 million in pastor’s wrongful death
By Bob Allen A federal jury has awarded more than $2.3 million to the widow of a Georgia Baptist pastor shot and killed in a botched drug investigation in 2009. Jurors in U.S. District Court in Gainesville, Ga., determined that…
Pastor’s wrongful death lawsuit goes to jury
By Bob Allen A civil trial involving a Baptist pastor killed in 2009 by police who mistook him for a suspected drug dealer is in the hands of a jury. After closing arguments on Wednesday, jurors in U.S. District Court…
Alleged abuse by children’s minister headed for grand jury
By Bob Allen An Alabama children’s minister charged with multiple sex crimes remains in jail after his lawyer withdrew a motion for reduced bond and waived a preliminary hearing on Feb. 18. Attorney Billy Underwood had filed a motion on…