The “mother church” of Southern Baptists—from whose pulpit legendary pastor Richard Furman once defended the institution of slavery—will host Baptists of multiple races, denominations and regional identities for a historic conference in August. The First Baptist Church of Charleston, S.C.,…
Did the IMB ‘investigate’ charges? Wade Burleson, IMB say no
Wade Burleson says there was no “investigation” by the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board into his allegations of trustee improprieties—despite the insistence of some trustees that there was. “What idiot told Mr. Burleson there was no trustee investigative committee?”…
Christians, others use film Amazing Grace to spotlight modern-day slave trade
Nearly 200 years after William Wilberforce brought an end to England's slave trade, a wide audience will have a chance to see his story told on film. But the producers of Amazing Grace—and a wide coalition of Christian and other…
IMB trustee investigation rejects allegations of board impropriety
The Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board, following an internal investigation, has rejected a trustee's accusations of impropriety and unauthorized tightening of doctrinal parameters. The board reportedly approved a report, based on its own executive committee's investigations into the charges,…
Bush, genetic scientist call U.S. to prayer
President Bush and a prominent biologist called the United States and the world to prayer during the National Prayer Breakfast Feb. 1. “You know, it's an amazing country, isn't it, when people from all walks of life gather to recognize…
Massachusetts legislators vote to send marriage ban to voters
A week after the state's highest court chided them for not acting sooner, Massachusetts legislators relented Jan. 2 and OK'd a proposed state constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage in the only state that currently allows it. On the…
Belmont names non-Baptists as controversy continues
Belmont University, embroiled in a lawsuit with the Tennessee Baptist Convention, has further angered some convention leaders by appointing non-Baptists to its board of trustees. The Nashville school announced, via a Dec. 21 press release, that eight new trustees had…
Warren, Obama dismiss criticism of AIDS conference at Saddleback
A star evangelical pastor and a star Democratic senator have fired back at anti-abortion leaders who criticized an AIDS conference designed to rally Christians to fight the global pandemic. Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Orange County, Calif.; and…
Arizona voters nation’s first to reject amendment banning gay marriage
Although 27 other states since 1998 have approved amendments to their state constitutions banning gay marriage, Arizona voters bucked the national trend. With 100 percent of the state's precincts reporting by midday Nov. 8, according to the Arizona secretary of…
Muslim group decries Baptist leader’s claims about Islamic ‘takeover’ of U.S.
Leaders from a prominent American Muslim group have denounced reported comments by the Missouri Baptist Convention's executive director claiming that “Islam has a strategic plan” to take over the United States. Ibrahim Hooper, communications director for the Washington-based Council on…
N.J. court gives gays marriage rights, but not claim to name
The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled Oct. 25 that the state's constitution requires that marriage rights be available to same-sex couples on an equal basis with heterosexuals. But the court left state legislators to decide whether to refer to the…
Muslim refugees say goodbye to Lebanese Baptist shelters
Hundreds of Lebanese Muslims who had taken refuge in Lebanese Baptist institutions said good-bye to their hosts Aug. 17. Meanwhile, Lebanese Christian leaders continued to care for refugees still in Beirut. As a cease-fire took hold in the month-long conflict…