By Bob Allen Richard Land, who last year announced plans to retire in October after 25 years as president of the Southern Baptist Convention Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, has been named president of Southern Evangelical Seminary, a non-denominational school…
‘Bapticostal’ comic rising Hollywood star
By Jeff Brumley Nowadays, comedian Michael Joiner is billed as “God’s Smart Aleck” to gently remind audiences that his clean humor comes from a Christian perspective. But there was a time when the Indiana native, raised a Baptist, was anything…
Rick Warren’s son dies
By Bob Allen Southern Baptist megachurch pastor and Purpose Driven Life author Rick Warren sent a letter April 6 informing church members his youngest son had committed suicide. The pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., said 27-year-old Matthew…
Former ‘cowboy’ pastor sentenced
By Bob Allen A former Southern Baptist “cowboy church” pastor was sentenced to 50 years in prison without the possibility of parole after a Texas jury found him guilty April 5 of continuous sexual abuse of a child. According to…
SBC leader retracts radio comment
By Bob Allen The president of the Southern Baptist Convention said April 3 on CNN that he misspoke and was misunderstood in an interview on Christian radio linking North Korea’s nuclear threat to arguments about gay marriage in the United…
Book series result of interfaith friendship
By Jeff Brumley A shared passion for studying and interpreting Scripture helped inspire a Rabbi and Baptist pastor to pen the ongoing “Reverend and the Rabbi” series of books on the Bible. “I think the first thing is we both share a…
Duke McCall funeral arrangements set
By Bob Allen Visitation for longtime denominational leader Duke McCall is scheduled for 1-5 p.m. Sunday, April 7, at a pavilion bearing his name on the campus of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. His funeral will be 10…
‘Celebrate Life’ composer Buryl Red dies
By Bob Allen Buryl Red, a renowned composer, conductor, producer and arranger known around the world as musical director of The CenturyMen and composer of the 1972 classic Celebrate Life, died April 1 after a battle with cancer. A graduate…
Duke McCall dies
By Bob Allen Duke McCall, a denominational leader known by Baptists worldwide for a ministry that spanned four decades, died April 2 at age 98. Chris Caldwell, pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., said McCall died this morning…