Stories written by "Staff"

FORT CASWELL, N.C.-Southern Baptists took a major step toward responding more quickly to overseas disasters when their state disaster relief directors approved a new protocol for mobilizing "initial responders" to crisis situations overseas.

There has been much discussion among Baptists and considerable coverage in the media regarding the revival in Jena, La. Many are beginning to ask what genuine revival might look like, and if revival such as the one in Jena might spark a spiritual...

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)-Fulfilling the mission Christ gave His followers-bringing lost souls into God's Kingdom-will be the focus of the 151st session of the Southern Baptist Convention when it convenes June 10-11 at the Indiana Convention Center.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (BP)--Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton beat Barack Obama handily among the party's weekly churchgoers in West Virginia May 13 according to exit polls, but also won in most other categories -- including among...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--A team of Southern Baptists is on the ground in Bangkok, Thailand, to help national believers from Myanmar deal with the mounting crisis in their country after a May 3 cyclone left 62,000 people dead or missing and drove...

BEIRUT, Lebanon (BP)--The Arab Baptist Theological Seminary located outside Beirut, Lebanon, sustained no damage after fighting broke out between Hezbollah militia and the Lebanese government May 8.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Ed Litton, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of North Mobile in Saraland, Ala., will be nominated for president of the Southern Baptist Pastors' Conference during its June 8-9 meeting in Indianapolis, James T. Draper...

BRANDON, Fla. (BP)--Florida pastor Forrest Pollock and a 13-year-old son were killed May 12 when the single-engine plane Pollock was flying crashed in North Carolina.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Southern Baptist relief workers are in touch with partners in central China to assess needs created by the 7.9-magnitude earthquake that struck the region May 12.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Gospel music legend Dottie Rambo died early Sunday, May 11, when her tour bus veered from a Missouri highway and struck an embankment.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Les Puryear, senior pastor of Lewisville (N.C.) Baptist Church, will be nominated for president of the Southern Baptist Convention during the SBC's June 10-11 annual meeting in Indianapolis, Dwight McKissic, senior pastor of...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Members of Two Rivers Baptist Church in Nashville, Tenn., voted May 11 to not accept all the ballots cast the previous Sunday on removing 71 dissidents from church membership. Their vote reversed the outcome of that...

WASHINGTON (BP)--Congressmen from both political parties have partnered to sponsor legislation designed to prevent children from purchasing or renting adult video games.

Is it time for the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) to drop Baptist from its name? With baptisms falling for the third year in a row among Southern Baptist churches, maybe it is time for the SBC to change its name to something like Southern...

WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP)--Though the United States is often considered a Christian nation, North American Mission Board President Geoff Hammond says there is still plenty of work to do in making believers and disciples of all people, especially...

Wire reports the number of people baptized in Southern Baptist churches fell for the third straight year in 2007 to the convention's lowest level since 1987.

WASHINGTON (BP)--Congress has adopted with nearly unanimous agreement a bill to prevent insurers and employers from discriminating against Americans based on their genetic information.

RICHMOND, Va. (BP)--Rodney Hammer, the International Mission Board's regional leader for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) for the past eight years, resigned effective May 5 after challenging policies of the board of trustees with which he is in...

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)--Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton May 6 continued to do well among churchgoers, according to exit polls, despite not having the kind of night her supporters felt she needed to shake up the race and catch...

RICHMOND, Va. (BP)--In an effort to get solid theological training to grass-roots leaders and strengthen ties between the International Mission Board and overseas Baptist seminaries, the IMB has appointed a consultant for global theological...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Southern Baptists are moving to respond in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, which struck Myanmar, a country in Southeast Asia also known as Burma, early May 3. The latest death toll stands at 22,000, with another 41,000...

BEIJING (BP)--Chinese authorities have filed new charges against a Christian bookstore owner who observers say is being unjustly persecuted by the government.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Year-to-date contributions through the Southern Baptist Convention's Cooperative Program are 0.30 percent behind the same time frame in April 2007, according to a news release from SBC Executive Committee President and Chief...

It is a sad situation, only 35 percent of Americans are very happy according to a New National "Happiness" Index.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--John Connell, senior pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Savannah, Ga., will be nominated for first vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention, a Texas pastor announced April 29.

WASHINGTON (BP)--Richard Land is calling on Southern Baptists and others to urge Senate Democratic leaders to lift their blockade on federal appeals court nominees.

WASHINGTON (BP)—-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her husband Todd, having put their pro-life beliefs into personal practice, introduced their fifth child to reporters and photographers April 21. Their son, born April 18, has Down syndrome.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Brian Fossett, a vocational evangelist from Dalton, Ga., will be nominated for second vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention, a pastor in Snellville, Ga., announced April 28.

WASHINGTON (BP)--Southern Baptist ethics leader Richard Land has called on the leading presidential candidates to support legislation to combat human trafficking and to make the issue a priority in their campaign platforms.

JACKSON, Tenn. (BP)--A forthcoming book tells the story of the tornado that hit Union University Feb. 5 and includes stories from students and others who point to God's care and protection that night.

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)--The presidents of three Southern Baptist Convention entities will speak at the Southern Baptist Conference of Associational Directors of Missions' June 8-9 annual meeting in Indianapolis, featuring the theme "Growing the...

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)--The Southern Baptist Messianic Fellowship, now recognized as an official ethnic and language ministry of the North American Mission Board, is eager to help SBC churches understand the Jewish culture for purposes of evangelism.

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)--The North American Mission Board will host a national Hispanic celebration on Sunday, June 8, from 6-9 pm at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown in Marriott Ballrooms 5 and 6 on Level 2.

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)--Appointments to the Southern Baptist Convention's Committee on Committees have been announced by SBC President Frank Page. Page, pastor of First Baptist Church in Taylors, S.C., announced the appointments in accordance with SBC...

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)--Southern Baptist Convention President Frank Page has named members of the Credentials Committee for the June 10-11 annual meeting in Indianapolis.

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—Prayer is news at this year's Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Indianapolis.

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)—Nominees to serve on the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, the four denominational boards (International and North American Mission boards, LifeWay Christian Resources, GuideStone Financial Resources), the Ethics &...

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)--The Southern Baptist Convention's six seminaries will host luncheons for alumni and guests in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention's June 10-11 annual meeting at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)--Members of the Tellers Committee for the June 10-11 annual meeting of the Sothern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis have been named by SBC President Frank Page.

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)--GuideStone Financial Resources will sponsor its annual Wellness Walk/Run on Tuesday morning, June 10, in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting.

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)--"How to Love a Leader" will be the theme of the 53rd annual Ministers' Wives Luncheon Tuesday, June 10, in Indianapolis.

It is official; the Bible is the most popular book in America according to a new survey conducted by Harris Poll among 2,513 adults. Surprised? Not really. What is surprising is how a book can be so popular and yet so few put what the book...

WASHINGTON (BP)--Officials of Marriott International have agreed to meet with pro-family leaders who have asked the hotel chain to stop offering pornographic movies in its rooms.

BEIJING (BP)--Shi Weihan, a Chinese bookstore owner in Beijing, has been rearrested for publishing Bibles and Christian literature during a time when a shortage of such materials has been reported in China.

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--The embattled pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, is stepping down to take a position at McAfee School of Theology.

Actor, commentator and comedian, Ben Stein's new documentary film, "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" opens April 18. Many Christian conservative leaders are on board with the film and so are we. The film was shown at a recent National...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (BP)--In a statement that has left conservatives frustrated and bewildered, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger -- who twice vetoed bills that would have legalized "gay marriage" -- said April 11 he would oppose a proposed...

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--Though in agreement with most Protestants on certain points, Roman Catholics diverge with Protestants on critical points concerning salvation. With more than 74 million followers in North America, Catholics make up the...

CAMDENTON, Mo. (BP)--Businessman Bill Jester has filed a counterclaim against the Missouri Baptist Convention, claiming lost profits of $10 million on his acquisition of 943 acres of land formerly owned by the convention and its Windermere Baptist...

Since when does a church or its pastor have to remain silent when addressing moral and social issues from a biblical worldview? There is no shortage on those who would like to squelch the voice of the church, especially during a political season.

SAN ANTONIO (BP)--Something may have seemed amiss on the telecast of Kansas' victory over Memphis for the NCAA championship Monday night. No coach or athlete voiced thanks to God.

WASHINGTON (BP)--Southern Baptist pro-life leader Richard Land is calling for passage of a measure to codify a ban on federal funding for abortion as part of an Indian health care bill.

CEDARVILLE, Ohio (BP)--Trustees of Cedarville University, meeting in special session April 4, voted unanimously to uphold the termination of David Hoffeditz, a tenured professor in the school's biblical studies department.

Ask, and most will agree, there is no shortage on sin. Ask for a definition of sin, and few will concur. What some may consider sin may not be considered sin by others. Sin has never been more popular than now as society has become more and more...

WASHINGTON (BP)--Lawyers for "prosperity gospel" televangelists Kenneth Copeland and Creflo Dollar have told U.S. senators that they will not comply with a probe into their ministries because it threatens religious freedom rights.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Year-to-date contributions through the Southern Baptist Convention's Cooperative Program are 2.39 percent ahead of the same time frame in March 2007, according to a news release from SBC Executive Committee President and...

WASHINGTON (BP)--Two television ministries still are refusing to comply fully with a U.S. Senate committee's probe into their financial records.

WASHINGTON (BP)--The U.S. Supreme Court agreed March 31 to review a lower court decision that some allege could cause local governments to remove Ten Commandments displays or permit a plethora of other religious monuments.

If Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has his way, he will use the Presidency as a bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws. Obama's comments came three days after he...

If Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has his way, he will use the Presidency as a bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full equality in their family and adoption laws. Obama's comments came three days after he...

Messenger Radio Co-hosts Ray Sanders and Bob Nigh interview Oklahoma state legislator Sally Kern about her recent comments about homosexuals. Click here to...

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)--SBC President Frank Page has named the members of the Resolutions Committee who will serve during the June 10-11 Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Indianapolis.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Southern Baptist churches served as shelters and volunteers helped residents clean up after major flooding in the Midwest left at least 17 dead and nearly half of Arkansas' counties declared as disaster areas.

WASHINGTON (BP)--The Bush administration has entered the fray over the conscience rights of pro-life physicians.

Jesus asked Peter, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." What if Peter was wrong? In his letter to the Christians of Corinth, the Apostle Paul gives the perfect response to this question. I...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has undergone successful surgery for the removal of a pre-cancerous tumor from his colon.

PHILADELPHIA (BP)--Barack Obama, during a major speech in Philadelphia March 18, defended his controversial pastor and said America cannot afford to ignore the race issue in its quest to form "a more perfect union" as the nation's founding fathers...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The most-often quoted authority on global climate change is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a scientific group established in 1988 by the United Nations to evaluate the risk of human-induced climate change. It...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Christians have a responsibility to participate in the political process and express their views, although their foremost allegiance is to the Lord of the church rather than the state, according to authors in the most recent...

WASHINGTON (BP)--The U.S. Supreme Court announced March 17 it will review a lower court's ruling that had stymied the federal government's attempt to restrict indecent language on television and radio broadcasts.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Chaldean Catholic Christians in Mosul mourned the death Paulos Faraj Rahho, an archbishop who was kidnapped Feb. 28 in Mosul. His funeral was held March 14, the day after his body was found in a shallow grave in a...

The world is out to win over the hearts and minds of our young people. Thousands of dollars are spent every day trying to lure them away into a compromising, self-centered, tolerant lifestyle.

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)--Registration is now open for families planning to enroll their children in June 8-11 preschool childcare or the children's conference in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in Indianapolis, Ind.

About 400 church staff and lay leaders gathered the evening of Feb. 28 at Moore, First to hear how to inspire "remarkable" people during the Missional Ministry Conference.

WASHINGTON (BP)--Three television ministries have refused to cooperate with a U.S. Senate committee's probe into their financial records and have been given a new deadline for providing the requested information, according to the panel's leadership.

DALLAS (BP)--At the midpoint for the 2008 Compensation Survey for Southern Baptist churches, more than 6,000 ministers and staff members have completed the online questionnaire.

CEDARVILLE, Ohio (BP)--A faculty panel investigating the termination of a professor at Cedarville (Ohio) University has concluded, on a split vote, in favor of the professor.

TAYLORS, S.C. (BP)--Following is the full text of Southern Baptist Convention President Frank Page's statement on global climate change released March 10:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)—Following is the full text of the Southern Baptist Convention's 2006 resolution "On Environmentalism And Evangelicals" adopted during the June 2006 SBC annual meeting in Greensboro, N.C.:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)—Following is the full text of the Southern Baptist Convention resolution "On Global Warming" adopted during the June 2007 SBC annual meeting in San Antonio:

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (BP)--California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger criticized a state appeals ruling related to homeschooling and pledged action on his part March 7 if it is not overturned.

WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP)—Following is the full text of "A Southern Baptist Declaration on the Environment and Climate Change" issued March 10 by seminary student Jonathan Merritt and signed by 46 other Southern Baptists:

WASHINGTON (BP)--Jonathan Merritt, a 25-year-old student at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., captured widespread media attention March 10 in releasing a statement titled "A Southern Baptist Declaration on the...

WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. (BP)--A Baptist university in southeastern Kentucky should not receive $12 million in state funds to launch a new pharmacy school, a circuit court judge in that state has ruled.

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--Members of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, will vote March 9 on whether senior minister Brett Younger should vacate the pulpit.

WASHINGTON (BP)--China has no plans to eliminate its infamous one-child, population-control policy, a top official of the communist regime said March 5.

For 100 years, many weary travelers have been pleased to discover a complimentary copy of the Bible in their hotel room, thanks to The Gideons International. According to the organization, each Bible placed in a hotel room has the potential to...

SACRAMENTO (BP)--The California Supreme Court heard oral arguments March 4 in a case that could lead to "gay marriage" being legalized this year and thrust the issue once more into a presidential election.

LUSAKA, Zambia (BP)--About 100 families in an isolated area on Zambia's Lunsemfwa River will be receiving food assistance after heavy rains and flooding wiped out their crops and some homes.

DALLAS (BP)--John McCain sealed the Republican nomination March 4 in part by drawing evangelical votes from Mike Huckabee, while Democrat Hillary Clinton gave her campaign a much-needed boost by winning three of four primary states against rival...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (BP)--A Missouri judge has handed down a summary judgment in favor of Windermere Baptist Conference Center in a legal battle over who has the right to elect that organization's trustees. Missouri Baptist Convention officials...

WASHINGTON (BP)--A Senate committee has passed legislation that could serve to reduce the killing of unborn children diagnosed with Down syndrome or other conditions.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Registration has opened for churches to register messengers online for the Southern Baptist Convention's June 10-11 annual meeting in Indianapolis.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Year-to-date contributions through the Southern Baptist Convention's Cooperative Program are 1.25 percent ahead of the same time frame in February 2007, according to a news release from SBC Executive Committee President and...

WASHINGTON (BP)--A House of Representatives committee has approved legislation renewing President Bush's initiative to combat AIDS in Africa after making changes in a version that had produced strong opposition from pro-life and pro-family...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Paulos Faraj Rahho, a Chaldean Catholic archbishop in Iraq, was kidnapped Feb. 28 by armed gunmen in the northern city of Mosul. His driver and two body guards were shot and killed during the attack, which occurred as Rahho...

WASHINGTON (BP)--A bipartisan religious liberty panel in the United States has called on Cuba's communist government to institute protections for religious expression and other human rights in the wake of Fidel Castro's departure as president.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Southern Baptists make up nearly 7 percent of the United States adult population, according to a new Pew study that also shows evangelicals outnumbering mainline church members and Catholics.

Daniel Caceres' call to missions started off as a still small voice, but by the time he accepted the call, it had become a hurricane force wind he couldn't ignore. It took three distinct calls from God before Daniel committed to full-time ministry.

During the Feb.18 meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, Frank Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, told Executive Committee members he believes the calling of the convention is to have a singular focus on...

DALLAS (BP)--Ministers can find help in preparing their 2007 federal income tax returns from GuideStone Financial Resource's annual Ministers Tax Guide.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Vacation Bible School is huge. How huge? Almost 1 in 16 children ages 5-12 in America was enrolled in a Southern Baptist VBS, according to figures from 2006.

DALLAS (BP)--Randel Everett, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Newport News, Va., was elected executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Feb. 26.

CLEVELAND (BP)--Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama said during a debate Feb. 26 that he regrets his 2005 vote allowing Congress to get involved in the case involving Terri Schiavo, the severely disabled woman from Florida...

WASHINGTON (BP)--The U.S. Senate voted Feb. 26 to prohibit federal funding for abortion as part of an Indian health care bill.

WASHINGTON (BP)--The Massachusetts doctor in whose care a 22-year-old woman died after an abortion has surrendered his medical license permanently.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--He is the only American in a remote mountain outpost in Afghanistan. He may go without a shower for a month. He hikes and fights everyday. But a simple piece of mail -- a LifeBox -- lifted the tired warrior's spirit beyond...

WASHINGTON (BP)--Forty-three pro-life and pro-family advocates have signed a letter to President Bush urging him to oppose and threaten a veto of draft legislation to reauthorize his initiative to combat AIDS in Africa.

JACKSON, Tenn.-Union University moved from crisis to recovery Feb. 8 as volunteer teams began cleaning up debris strewn by the Feb. 5 tornado and construction workers began rebuilding two major academic buildings.

Has the buckle of the Bible belt become the Mecca of gambling? Unless something changes soon, Oklahoma is on the fast track to becoming the gambling capital of the Untied States. In a state where high moral standards once served as model for the...

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (BP)--Billy Graham was released from the hospital Feb. 19 and is resting at his mountain home in Montreat, N.C., where he is expected to continue working on a book about the joys and challenges of growing old.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--While reaction to the resignation of Fidel Castro was quiet in Cuba, Baptists are looking ahead to their work on the island.

MADISON, Wis. (BP)--John McCain easily won the Wisconsin Republican primary Feb. 19 despite not winning the evangelical vote, while Barack Obama won among weekly churchgoers to claim the state's Democratic primary and continue his streak of wins...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee members approved a 2008-09 Cooperative Program Allocation budget of $205,716,834 for recommendation to the SBC during its June 10-11 annual meeting in Indianapolis.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Fidel Castro's health-related resignation Feb. 19, in President Bush's view, should lead to "a period of democratic transition" for the Caribbean nation.

PRATTVILLE, Ala. (BP)--More than 200 homes and a business district in Prattville, Ala., a suburb of Montgomery, were damaged by a tornado Feb. 17, marking another string of turbulent weather across the Southeast that sent Southern Baptist disaster...

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--Ongoing conflict in Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, has intensified, with 162 church members petitioning the congregation's deacon board for a meeting to vote on terminating senior minister Brett Younger.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Seven "Artist of the Year" nominees were announced Feb. 14 for the Gospel Music Association's 39th annual Dove Awards.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (BP)--Charleston Southern University has reached an agreement with a court-appointed receiver to settle allegations arising from its relationship with Al Parish, a former economics professor at the university. Parish, who pleaded...

TALLADEGA, Ala. (BP)-Southern Baptists giving to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering(r) for North American Missions exceeded the national goal for the second consecutive year, with $59.3 million received, the most ever in the history of the offering.

During the opening session of the "New Baptist Covenant Celebration" in Atlanta Jan. 30, former President Jimmy Carter called for Baptists of all races, political leanings and theological stances to unite around a common belief in the Gospel of...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--In his first full-length book, R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., compares Christians in America to Aristotle's proverbial fish, who spend all their time in water,...

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (BP)--Evangelist Billy Graham remains hospitalized following an elective procedure Feb. 13 to install a new valve in a shunt designed to drain excess fluid from his brain, according to the Asheville Citizen-Times in North Carolina.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, will require additional surgery after a scheduled colonoscopy Feb. 11 revealed a tumor in his colon. An initial biopsy indicated that the tumor is...

CENTRALIA, Mo. (BP)--Betty Jo Lewis, wife of Larry Lewis, former president of the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board, died Feb. 10 at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. She was 64.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--The North American Mission Board trustee meeting Feb. 6 ended the way it began, celebrating how God has used Southern Baptists through their gifts to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions.

WASHINGTON (BP)--President Bush said in his final National Prayer Breakfast as the country's chief executive he was grateful for, and had been helped by, the prayers of Americans.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (BP)--Focus on the Family founder James Dobson endorsed Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee Feb. 7, giving the former Arkansas governor a boost heading into a series of upcoming primaries.

JACKSON, Tenn. (BP)--Students who suffered through a tornado at Union University Feb. 5 are being guided through logistical challenges by updates posted at uurecovery.com, the school's official site for recovery information.

JACKSON, Tenn. (BP)--Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen toured the tornado-ravaged Union University campus Feb. 7, as the long process of cleaning up debris and rebuilding the campus begins.

Certainly readers of the Baptist Messenger have come to expect and rely on us for accurate and dependable information regarding critical issues that impact Christian life.

HARTSELLE, Ala. (BP)--Frank Cox, pastor of North Metro First Baptist Church in Lawrenceville, Ga., will be nominated for president of the Southern Baptist Convention during the SBC's June 10-11 annual meeting in Indianapolis, Alabama evangelist...

Last year, 7,168 Southern Baptist churches didn't baptize anyone. There were 3,312 that baptized just one person, and 10,448 that baptized from three to five people. Another 6,774 baptized six to 10 people, with only 274 churches baptizing more...

WASHINGTON (BP)--Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney suspended his campaign Feb. 7, saying it was time to make way for a national effort by GOP opponent John McCain.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Evidenced by homes reduced to rubble and loss of life, experts said the Feb. 5 outbreak of tornadoes that killed 55 people across the Southeast was the deadliest in more than 20 years.

JACKSON, Tenn. (BP)--Media outlets across the nation are carrying coverage of students' reactions after surviving a tornado that struck the campus of Union University in Jackson, Tenn., Feb. 5, destroying dormitories and leaving students trapped...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Baptist Press has created a blog site for news and updates from Union University, which sustained severe damage in a Feb. 5 tornado.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--More than 60 rare winter tornadoes touched down in parts of Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Alabama and Mississippi Feb. 5, killing at least 48 people and leaving residents to cope with damaged homes, downed power lines and...

UPDATED 5:45 A.M. February 6, 2008.

JERUSALEM (BP)--A 2,500-year-old stone seal unearthed during a Jerusalem archeological dig in early January isn't tied to the obscure Old Testament family initially thought, but instead possibly to an equally obscure and completely different...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Year-to-date contributions through the Southern Baptist Convention's Cooperative Program are .52 percent ahead of the same time frame in January 2007, according to a news release from SBC Executive Committee President and...

T.B. Lackey Health Care Center at Baptist Village of Oklahoma City and Evergreen Care Center at Baptist Village of Owasso were two of only four nursing facilities in the state to earn five-star 10 point ratings recently through the Oklahoma Health...

Having made their mark on the population charts years ago, Baby Boomers are once again gaining the attention of economists, healthcare providers, politicians and insurance companies. Thanks to Baby Boomers, the senior adult population in America...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Mark Kelly, with more than 20 years in Baptist journalism, will join the staff of Baptist Press Feb. 1 as assistant editor.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (BP)--International Mission Board trustees appointed 36 missionaries to be heralds of the Gospel during their Jan. 28-30 meeting in Gainesville, Fla.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (BP)--Wade Burleson of Oklahoma has resigned from the board of trustees of the International Mission Board, effective Jan. 30.

WASHINGTON (BP)--The National Right to Life Political Action Committee says it is not endorsing any of the remaining candidates for president, although it says the leading Republican candidates are pro-life on abortion and it is opposing the...

MIAMI (BP)--Voters in Miami-Dade County approved the first-ever installation of Las Vegas-style slot machines in the jurisdiction Jan. 29, awarding gambling promoters 63 percent of the vote.

WASHINGTON (BP)--President Bush urged a Democratic-controlled Congress Jan. 28 in his last State of the Union speech to maintain policies he has promoted and adopt recommendations he has previously offered.

WASHINGTON (BP)--The Federal Communications Commission issued a $1.43 million indecency fine against 52 ABC affiliates Jan. 25 for airing nudity during an episode of "NYPD Blue" in 2003, marking the second-largest indecency fine ever proposed for...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (BP)--A law legalizing medical marijuana in California was weakened Jan. 24 when the state's Supreme Court ruled that employers can fire employees if they test positive for marijuana use, even if the drug is prescribed by a doctor.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Gunmen kidnapped an American aid worker Jan. 26 as she was headed to work in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON (BP)--A Republican and a Democrat in the U.S. Senate have combined their efforts once again in an attempt to prevent unethical research involving human-animal hybrid embryos.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (BP)--With voters in the key state of Florida set to go to the polls Tuesday and voters in more than 20 other states doing so a week later, Republican Mike Huckabee's campaign has scaled back due to a lack of cash, although the...

A round of applause for the Supreme Court please! Earlier this month the Supreme Court declined to review a 2004 case filed in Tulsa Federal Court which challenged Oklahoma's "Choose Life" license plate program. The Supreme Court let stand the...

DALLAS (BP)--Virginia pastor Randel Everett has been nominated as the next executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

WASHINGTON (BP)--Congress again has fallen short in an effort to override a presidential veto of the expansion of a children's health insurance program.

WASHINGTON (BP)--President Bush encouraged pro-life Americans to "take heart" and "be strong" on the 35th anniversary of the Supreme Court's legalization of abortion.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP)--The youngest son of Rick Burgess of the popular syndicated radio duo "Rick and Bubba" died Jan. 19 when he fell into a swimming pool at his home and drowned. He was 2 years old.

WASHINGTON (BP)--Scientists used cells from aborted babies in recently reported research that has been hailed as a breakthrough in the ethical development of embryonic-like stem cells.

WASHINGTON (BP)--Scientists in California reportedly have cloned human embryos from adult skin cells, apparently taking a step toward producing personalized, replacement stem cells to treat diseases.

As journalists, we are often reminded of the power of our pen. Perhaps that phrase should be updated to include the power of the keyboard. No doubt, the right words at the right time have a way of motivating us.

WASHINGTON (BP)--The number of abortions in the United States has reached its lowest level in three decades, according to a report released Jan. 17.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Beginning in 2008, LifeWay's Vacation Bible School materials will feature resources customized for children with special needs.

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam (BP)--Vietnamese Baptists met at Grace Baptist Church in Ho Chi Minh City Jan. 10-11 to celebrate the church's receiving official government recognition and to organize a new national confederation. This historic...

HANOI, Vietnam (BP)--Remember the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" where downed U.S. pilots were kept during the Vietnam War? It's now a museum.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (BP)--A proposed Florida marriage amendment that just one month ago seemed headed to the ballot now is in jeopardy after a state audit determined the initiative is 22,000 signatures short of the number required.

PHOENIX (BP)--Most Americans believe it should be legal to have voluntary student-led prayers at public school events, display the Ten Commandments inside a court building and allow religious displays on city-owned property, according to research...

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--Registration opens Feb. 1 for the second annual SBC Student Ministry Survey, designed to be a comprehensive guide for Southern Baptist churches across the nation to garner crucial, fresh information about teens, their...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP)--A spate of arson attacks have affected five churches in east Alabama -- attacks that follow a string of nine church-burning incidents nearly two years ago in which three college-age men were arrested.

The Baptist Messenger has been informing and inspiring Oklahoma Baptists since 1912. In our 97th year, the Baptist Messenger continues to serve as a reliable Christian news and information resource for Oklahoma Baptists.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP)--Gregory Clarke, pastor of the 6,000-member New Hope Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., has been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for three counts of filing false income tax returns.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (BP)--The following is a list of books that could be helpful to soldiers and their families during a time of war.

MANCHESTER, N.H. (BP)--Comeback victories for Republican John McCain and Democrat Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire could lead to lengthy nominating processes for both parties stretching well past Super Tuesday, Richard Land believes.

DALLAS (BP)--The 2008 Compensation Survey for Southern Baptist churches, a joint effort of Baptist state conventions, LifeWay Christian Resources and GuideStone Financial Resources, is now online at www.LifeWay.com/compensationsurvey. All...

WASHINGTON (BP)--The U.S. Supreme Court debated the constitutionality of the country's most common form of capital punishment Jan. 7, only three weeks after a state outlawed the death penalty for the first time in more than three decades.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Ken Stephens, vice president of the B&H Publishing Group of LifeWay Christian Resources, will retire Jan. 15 after 11 years with the organization. Stephens joined B&H in 1996 after a lengthy career with Thomas Nelson...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Year-to-date contributions through the Southern Baptist Convention's Cooperative Program are 5.03 percent ahead of the same time frame at the end of 2006, according to a news release from SBC Executive Committee President...

On Dec. 11, 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a resolution acknowledging the significance of Christmas and Christianity. The resolution passed by just over 97 percent. That is right, 327 representatives approved of the resolution,...

WASHINGTON (BP)--Presidential one dollar coins are the only U.S. coins currently being issued by the United States Mint that have the inscription "In God We Trust" along the edge, but public pressure soon may send the motto back to the front or...

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--While archeological proof of Jesus' birth may be scarce, there's no shortage of evidence supporting the reality of His life on earth, a seminary professor told Baptist Press.

MANCHESTER, N.H. (BP)--The early start of the presidential season has forced the candidates to walk a tightrope during the Christmas season, trying to grab voters' attention but not being a nuisance in what is normally a non-political time.

NEWTON, Mass. (BP)--Newton Corner Worship Center is the new name for a historic New England building that is home to six different congregations, including people from Arabic, Brazilian, Greek, American, Philippine and Russian-Jewish backgrounds.

When you step into the voting booth, what issues matter most? What do you look for in a political candidate?

NEW ORLEANS (BP)--The Christmas message and melody are unmistakable:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Southern Baptist Theological Seminary recorded its 200th commencement Dec. 7.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--New Line Cinema released "The Golden Compass" with the anticipation it would be a holiday hit, but its domestic box office receipts thus far have been a disappointment for the distributor.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (BP)--In 10 years, the Christian Women's Job Corps has grown to 192 training sites, added a men's program and, in 2006 alone, assisted more than 2,100 individuals through the efforts of 15,000 volunteers.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (BP)--The Missouri Baptist Convention's executive board has voted to construct a new convention building in California, Mo., 22 miles west of the convention's current headquarters in Jefferson City.

NEW YORK (BP)--The same French brothers who filmed an award-winning documentary about Sept. 11, 2001, have put together a unique documentary with up-close and personal looks at 12 worldwide religious leaders, including Southern Baptist Convention...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (BP)--The Executive Board of the Missouri Baptist Convention met Dec. 10 in part to discuss their concerns about alcohol use and alcohol-based evangelism strategies within the greater Missouri Baptist family. They concluded by...

WASHINGTON (BP)--President Bush has vetoed for the second time the expansion of a children's health insurance program.

If you believe HIV/AIDS is spread across America primarily by homosexuals, you are correct. If you believe homosexuality is a sin, you are correct. If you are a homophobic Baptist and have therefore turned your back on the homosexual community and...

LAKE FOREST, Calif. (BP)-Today's young Christians are the church, not the church's future, and it's time they take seriously the Bible's call to care for "the least of these," including those with HIV/AIDS, Francis Chan told students at a youth...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Trennis Henderson, editor of the Kentucky Baptist Western Recorder, has announced his resignation effective March 1 to accept a position as vice president for communications at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Ark.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (BP)--Matthew Murray, 24, has been identified as the gunman who killed two staff members and wounded two others at a Youth With a Mission facility in Denver before killing two and wounding three others Dec. 9 at New Life...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (BP)--The Rhode Island Supreme Court Dec. 7 handed conservatives another victory in the nationwide legal battle over "gay marriage," ruling that a same-sex couple who obtained a marriage license in Massachusetts could not get a...

WASHINGTON (BP)--Congress will not vote to expand hate crimes protections to homosexuals and transgendered individuals as part of a military authorization bill for next year, it was announced Dec. 6.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Paul Pressler, who played an instrumental role in the Southern Baptist Convention's Conservative Resurgence, endorsed Fred Thompson for president Dec. 7.

According to a national study, nearly 80 percent of Americans call themselves Christian. More than 1,000 "self-identified" U.S. Christians 18 years of age and older participated in the study commissioned by Christianity Today International and...

GUIDESTONE EXPANDS TERM LIFE AMOUNTS -- GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention will offer enhancements to its term life insurance coverage beginning Jan. 1.

WASHINGTON (BP)--The National Religious Broadcasters delivered a letter to U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley Dec. 3, expressing concern over a probe he is conducting into the financial records of six television ministries.

CASPER, Wyo. (BP)--Evangelism, undergirded by prayer, was the key emphasis during the 24th annual meeting of the Wyoming Southern Baptist Convention.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Year-to-date contributions through the Southern Baptist Convention's Cooperative Program are 6.77 percent ahead of the same time frame in 2006, according to a news release from SBC Executive Committee President and Chief...

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--James E. Coggin, an influential pastor in the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary community during his 24 years as pastor of Travis Avenue Baptist Church, died of cancer Nov. 27 in Fort Worth. He was 86.

GENEVA, Switzerland (BP)--An estimated 2.5 million people contracted the virus that causes AIDS last year, bringing the total number of people in the world living with HIV/AIDS to 33.2 million, according to UNAIDS, the joint United Nations program...

If you haven't heard, Albus Dumbledore is gay. Who is Albus Dumbledore? According to a U.S. Consumer Research survey, more than half of American children between the ages of 6 and 17 could tell you who he is because they have read at least one of...

CLEVELAND (BP)--Messengers attending the 54th annual meeting of the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio celebrated the 700 mark in number of congregations and considered a proposed constitutional amendment to prohibit churches that condone...

WASHINGTON (BP)--Sen. Trent Lott, R.-Miss, surprised his Republican colleagues by announcing Nov. 26 his retirement from the Senate.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Forty-one state conventions affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention met in annual meetings between August and November. Thirty-one state conventions increased their budgets, seven made cuts and three kept the amount...

If there was ever any question as to why marriage must be defined as holy matrimony between one man and one woman, then a recent wedding in India should remove all doubt.

MOORE-The need for prayer and impacting lostness resonated throughout sessions of the 101st Annual Meeting of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, Nov. 12-13, as messengers adopted a record budget, re-elected their president and approved...

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (BP)--Sarah Ann Ervin, president of the Southern Baptist student group Mountaineer Campus Ministries at West Virginia University, is the 2007 Miss Mountaineer Award recipient.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--LifeWay Christian Resources has released a new six-week Bible study by Beth Moore focusing on the "Psalms of Ascent" -- Moore's first such study in the Psalms.

BURLEY, Idaho (BP)--Messengers to the 43rd annual meeting of the Utah-Idaho Southern Baptist Convention focused on the theme "A Heavenly Quest," based on Colossians 3:1.

GETTYSBURG, Pa. (BP)--Messengers to the 37th annual meeting of the Baptist Convention of Pennsylvania/South Jersey increased giving to the Cooperative Program and celebrated a new partnership with Illinois Baptists.