Stories from "Baptist Press"

RICHMOND, Va. (BP)--Pat Townsend admits she's living outside her comfort zone.

RICHMOND, Va. (BP)--Weary travelers stand alongside a river somewhere in South America's Amazon Basin.

EL CAJON, Calif. (BP)--Who is the most famous fugitive in the Bible? Jonah is famous for being the prophet who ran from God, but then ran into God in the depths of the ocean. He discovered there are no hiding places from God.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Nearly 10 million children die each year from treatable illnesses like diarrhea and pneumonia -- the vast majority of them in the developing world, according to the U.S.-based charity Save the Children. Child death rates are...

BRANDON, Fla. (BP)--Karen Green looks to the example set by her mother and grandmothers as she encourages fellow ministers' wives at First Baptist Church in Brandon, Fla., where her husband, Tommy Green, is pastor.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--The changes our nation has seen over the past 100 years are mind boggling. Transportation, communication and education barely resemble what existed at the turn of the previous century.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--For 100 years, an estimated 2.5 million boys have voiced the Royal Ambassador pledge:

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

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...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (BP)--The new manager of the Kansas City Royals is a Southern Baptist who has been walking with the Lord for more than three decades.

NEW ORLEANS (BP)--Abundant evidence for the reliability of the New Testament is found in thousands of manuscripts, produced between the second and 14th centuries, said Daniel Wallace, one of six speakers at New Orleans Baptist Theological...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Citing widespread confusion about what it means to be an "evangelical," a group of Christian leaders issued a manifesto proposing to define the identity and commitments of evangelical Christians.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--While economists debate how serious America's economic slowdown really is, Southern Baptist pastors report their members are still giving in spite of the financial pressures many are facing.

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...

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (BP)--Although they invariably do well, family films are still in a minority. But it might surprise you to learn of just how many film folk are indeed family friendly. Actor/singer and one time soap star Michael Damian is an...

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--There are a good many things about which most of us maintain a healthy skepticism. Some of those are listed in the title of this essay. However skeptical you may be, there are two categories of humans for whom at least one...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--High rates of divorce and unmarried childbearing cost U.S. taxpayers at least $112 billion each year, making marriage enrichment a legitimate policy concern, a first-of-its-kind study sponsored by four public policy and...

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...

WOODSTOCK, Ga. (BP)--Johnny M. Hunt, pastor of First Baptist Church of Woodstock, Ga., will be nominated for president of the Southern Baptist Convention during the SBC's June 10-11 annual meeting in Indianapolis, Ted Traylor, pastor of Olive...

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (BP)--Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain gave his most-detailed speech yet on the judiciary, criticizing Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for their votes against President Bush's two Supreme Court...

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...

WASHINGTON (BP)--Congressional members of President Bush's own party urged him not to attend the opening ceremony of this year's Olympic games in Beijing during a Capitol Hill news conference.

PINE MOUNTAIN, Ga. (BP)--Most new high school graduates don't struggle with how to explain their faith to someone immersed in New Age philosophy, existentialism, or nihilism. The fact is, many of them have never heard the terms, and they certainly...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--I would consider pastoral malpractice among the greatest treasons a minister can commit against the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, it is practiced weekly without inhibition.

TAYLORS, S.C. (BP)--In a previous first-person column, I talked about the presentation of our North American Mission Board at this year's Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Indianapolis regarding a 10-year, multi-faceted, flexible...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Preachers who want doctrinal substance in their sermons must pore over God's Word with intensity, Robert Smith Jr. writes in his new book, "Doctrine that Dances: Bringing Doctrinal Preaching and Teaching to Life."

WASHINGTON (BP)--A bipartisan United States commission has called for designation of the same 11 countries that it recommended last year as the world's worst violators of religious liberty as it awaits a long overdue response from the State...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Entering its third weekend, Ben Stein's "Expelled: No Intelligence Designed" has entered the Top 15 on the all-time list for documentary films -- a distinction that some say is a solid box office achievement, others say is a...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The United States is supposedly the most generous nation on the planet, but only 5 percent of American adults donated 10 percent or more of their income to churches and charitable groups last year, according to a study by...

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

PUERTO CABEZAS, Nicaragua (BP)--As Nicaragua's Miskito Indians try to reclaim their hardscrabble existence from the ravages of Hurricane Felix, Southern Baptists are making a difference for the poorest families among this poverty-stricken people.

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--Just about everything wrong with pop culture parenting and the cult of celebrity has been on display in the recent Miley Cyrus "Photogate."

SEBRING, Fla. (BP)--The thought of her son's Bible fluttering in the wind beside his still body in Iraq brought a certain comfort to Marcus Mathes' mother after he was killed in a mortar attack April 28.

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...

PUXICO, Mo. (BP)--They've turned a corner from complacency to compassion, pastor Phil Bray says.

SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The Thirty Years' War over religion devastated much of Europe in the mid 1600s. By 1648, the war had degenerated into skirmishes and local battles. War had become so entrenched in the national psyche that the fights...

GLORIETA, N.M.(BP)--Expanding on the success of Ridgecrest Summer Camps near Asheville, N.C., which are running at nearly 100 percent capacity, LifeWay Glorieta Conference Center is preparing to hold its first summer camps in New Mexico's Rocky...

VANDUSER, Mo. (BP)--As the guys on the Arkansas disaster chainsaw team -- tired after a long day of working a recent Missouri storm -- ate their dinner at a local Southern Baptist church, the big, burly man who came in was impossible to miss....

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (BP)--A proposed constitutional marriage amendment apparently will make the ballot in California, setting the stage for what could be the highest-profile and most expensive political battle yet over "gay marriage."

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (BP)--Cameron Byler, a pioneer in Southern Baptist disaster relief work and men's missions, died April 28 at a hospital near his home in San Antonio. He was 79.

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.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--The 150th anniversary of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., will be celebrated with an array of events, learning opportunities and $6 million in campus improvements. The seminary's board of trustees...

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.

DALLAS (BP)--On Monday, Pastor Jeremiah Wright had the following exchange with the moderator at the National Press Club:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--One of the most painful memories from my childhood was the daily ritual of "choosing up sides" for a sporting event to take place during school recess. I was a late bloomer, and my growth spurt didn't kick in until I was in...

MONTPELIER, Vt. (BP)--A Vermont commission given the responsibility of studying the issue of "gay marriage" stopped just short of recommending its legalization, although its report left little doubt where commission members stood.

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.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP)--Woman's Missionary Union has chosen six National Acteens Panelists based on their commitment and involvement in missions and Acteens, along with their leadership and involvement in their school, community and church.

WASHINGTON (BP)--Barack Obama's longtime pastor Jeremiah Wright sought to explain two of his more controversial statements during an April 25 interview on PBS' "Bill Moyers Journal" and also defended his association with Nation of Islam leader...

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--As Ben Stein's documentary "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" enters its second week in theaters, I would like to comment on its first week of fireworks.

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)--The sixth volume of The Journal of African American Southern Baptist History will be presented during the 13th annual meeting of the Black Southern Baptist Denominational Servants Network June 8.

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)--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.

LOS ANGELES (BP)--A record number of Korean Southern Baptists are anticipated June 16-19 at the 27th annual meeting of the Council of Korean Southern Baptist Churches in America.

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)--Two longtime pastors will be honored during the June 8-9 meeting of the National African American Fellowship of the Southern Baptist Convention, while Mark Croston Sr. will recap his unprecedented three-year term as NAAF president.

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)--Pastors planning to attend the SBC Pastors' Conference in Indianapolis June 8-9 will need to leave earlier this year, according to Pastors' Conference President Michael Catt. In an unusual move, the Pastors' Conference will open...

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.

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--A hoax, The American Heritage Dictionary says, "is an act intended to deceive or trick." While purposeful frauds are nothing new, it seems that the Internet has made them part and parcel of everyday life.

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.

HOUSTON (BP)--For singer/songwriter Brandon Heath, "Don't Get Comfortable" is more than just the title of his newest CD -- it's also his life motto.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Christian middle school, high school and college students across the country this year will have at least two officially organized alternatives to the homosexual-themed Day of Silence.

FORT CASWELL, N.C. (BP)--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.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (BP)--The Florida Senate April 23 adopted by a vote of 21-17 a bill to permit academic freedom for teachers and students addressing evolution in Florida's public schools. The prospects of the measure remain in doubt after the...

PHILADELPHIA (BP)--Hillary Clinton easily won the support of weekly Democratic churchgoers in the Pennsylvania primary April 22 in an election that once again showed deep divides within the party.

WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP)--"Get up on your feet so I can knock you down again!" I stood horrified in the hall as my father yelled at my mother lying on the floor at his feet. Their fighting had awakened me in the night.

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.

NASHVLLE, Tenn. (BP)--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.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The statistical profile generated from the Annual Church Profile reports submitted by cooperating Baptist churches each year is a numerical snapshot of what is happening at the local church level. Though these numbers do not...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Unchurched adults interested in finding a congregation aren't nearly as likely to visit one in person as a church member who is shopping for a new congregation, according to several recent LifeWay Research studies.

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.

SEOUL, South Korea (BP)--Some say it is a new day in South Korea. After a landslide election in November, Myung-Bak Lee was sworn into office on Feb. 19. In defeating Dong-Young Chung of the liberal United Democratic Party, Lee provided the...

NEW ORLEANS (BP)--Trustees at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary have approved a new master's program in women's ministry and a new apologetics institute, in addition to electing a new faculty member.

JAPAN (BP)--Staring out her bedroom window, 49-year-old Michiko didn't have much to live for in the spring of 2005. Ravaged by a critical illness and depression, Michiko's only source for answers -- her 10-year membership in Shinnyo-en, a...

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--I forgot to set the sleep timer on our television once and awoke the next morning to a rerun of "Law and Order." In the span of a few minutes, I was reminded of a great truth: Your lifestyle matters.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--"Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" finished in the Top 10 among all movies in weekend box office estimates and could be on its way to finishing in the Top 10 all-time for documentaries.

COCOA BEACH, Fla. (BP)--Ryan Harris brought his best friend and a skim board to his baptism.

TAYLORS S.C. (BP)--As I have mentioned in previous articles, I have been encouraging the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board to present to our convention a multi-faceted, flexible evangelism strategy which will help pull our churches...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Several prayer initiatives within the Southern Baptist Convention in the coming months reflect an expanding emphasis on intercession and seeking God's guidance.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--While history is full of women who have reshaped the world, no woman has had such a significant and lasting impact as the first woman, Eve.

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.

SOUTH BARRINGTON, Ill. (BP)--Though it is right for the church to fight for social justice, Christians must never focus on conditions in this world so much that they fail to tell people about the eternal life available through Christ, Dan Kimball...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Following the sweeping turnover in Congress resulting from the mid-term elections of 2006, newly elected Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), was touted for his right-to-life record. Even conservatives sensed he would be a strong...

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--Ben Stein's new movie "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" opens this weekend in theaters. It explores the widespread persecution -- destruction of livelihoods, careers and reputations -- of scientists who doubt Darwin's...

WASHINGTON (BP)--Researchers have created human-animal embryos in Great Britain for the first time.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Following weeks of controversy about not only its content but its filming and production, Ben Stein's documentary "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" opens this weekend.

SOUTH BARRINGTON, Ill. (BP)--The emphasis Christians place on the traditional Christian doctrines of hell and the second coming of Jesus inhibits believers from living effective lives of service in this world, according to speaker and author Brian...

EDEN, N.C. (BP)--Pastor Steve Griffith of Osborne Baptist Church vividly remembers prayerwalking around the corporate headquarters of a major textile plant one day in February 1998 when he sensed God telling him, "I'm going to give you this...

SOUTH BARRINGTON, Ill. (BP)--Recent denials of hell and a literal second coming of Christ by emerging church leader Brian McLaren are absurd and actually lead to the kind of violence McLaren seeks to prevent, said Russell D. Moore, senior vice...

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--It has been nearly a year since 45-year-old Gary Morey was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, yet as time passes, Morey doesn't dream of traveling the world or seeing anything new. Instead, he is taking time for the...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (BP)--An effort in California to place a constitutional marriage amendment on the November ballot appears to be close to its goal, although officials say they need approximately 50,000 more signatures in the next two to three...

WASHINGTON (BP)--The Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, a coalition of evangelicals focused on the issue of global climate change, has released a 16-point public policy agenda for balancing concern about global climate change with...

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (BP)--Christians can have hope under even the most difficult circumstances because of a providential God, Union University President David S. Dockery said April 13 at Northside Baptist Church in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (BP)--Gary Crawford figured he would draw from his wife's now eight-year struggle with multiple myeloma to write a book about "the best of life in some of the most difficult of times."

WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP)--Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary trustees approved key changes to the seminary's undergraduate school during their April 14-15 meeting in Wake Forest, N.C.

DALLAS (BP)--A college student I know spent spring break in Panama City, Fla. "It was not my venue," she told me afterwards. "Next year, I'll do a mission trip."

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Pope Benedict XVI should be admired for his level of conviction but not for the particulars of his theological views, R. Albert Mohler Jr. wrote April 15 in an online dialogue about faith sponsored by The Washington Post and...

ATLANTA (BP)--If your job feels more like a soap opera than a calling, you're not alone. For many Christian professionals, work often entails navigating plenty of drama and tension.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Defining the identity of Southern Baptists isn't an easy task, but the latest film in the Forged by Faith DVD series seeks to do just that.

WASHINGTON (BP)--The U.S. Supreme Court in a 7-2 ruling April 16 upheld Kentucky's method of lethal injection, giving states nationwide the green light to lift their unofficial moratoriums on such death penalty methods.

GAINESVILLE, Ga. (BP)--Today, Americans are born into a world dominated by debt, and the majority has no concept that there actually was a time when excessive home mortgages, automobile loans, school loans and credit cards did not exist.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--As Pope Benedict XVI visits the United States this week, the Southern Baptist Convention's 16 million members and North America's 75 million Catholics agree on some doctrinal matters but not all.

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...

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--Greatness is a term we don't always grasp. Jesus said the greatest people in the kingdom of heaven humble themselves like a little child.

MILL VALLEY, Calif. (BP)--Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary trustees adopted a 2008-09 budget of $10,473,000, up 3.4 percent from the current year, during their April 7-8 meeting at the seminary's Northern California campus in Mill Valley.

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--Trustees of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary elected three new faculty members, granted tenure to one faculty member and promoted four others during their April 7-9 in Fort Worth, Texas.

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...

TALLHASSEE, Fla. (BP)--Florida state Sen. Ronda Storms has been surprised by the personal attacks of those who oppose her bill to protect academic freedom for public school teachers and students addressing evolution.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Some women "tuck an abortion away for many, many years," said Pat Layton, author of "Surrendering the Secret: Healing the Heartbreak of Abortion."

GRANTHAM, Pa. (BP)--Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton tackled a host of tough question about their beliefs during a unique "Compassion Forum" April 13, but on at least one question -- when they believe life begins...

LOS ANGELES (BP)--Children who watched certain daytime shows on cable's MTV and BET were exposed to adult content -- including that of a sexual, violent, profane or obscene nature -- once every 38 seconds, according to a study by the Parents...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Tennessee schools can teach a nonsectarian academic class on the Bible without violating the U.S. Constitution or previous U.S. Supreme Court precedents, Tennessee's attorney general says.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--For good and obvious reasons, Americans have spent a great deal of energy and research in identifying and removing contaminants and dangers from the lives of children. Lead was once a common ingredient in paint for homes, but...

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--Staring at the cocaine in his hand while his mother prayed over him was a defining moment in Quincy Jones' life. Only a few days earlier, the 21-year-old was confronted with his need for a savior and put his faith in Jesus...

DALLAS (BP)--A rumor that Criswell College, started in 1975 by First Baptist Church of Dallas, would become part of nearby Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary was laid to rest by the college's trustees during their regularly scheduled board...

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--"I stressed academics, and my players will tell you that," basketball coach John Wooden once said. "They were here to get an education. That's number one and must always be number one."

PHILADELPHIA (BP)--Keystone Fellowship Church in suburban Philadelphia celebrated its fourth birthday by planting Epiphany Fellowship Church amid some of the City of Brotherly Love's meanest streets.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee told a teleconference of supporters April 10 he plans on "vigorously" supporting John McCain for president, but also said he wonders if his campaign would have won the...

SUNNYVALE, Texas (BP)--How urgent is the world's need for the Gospel?

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Billions of dollars are flowing out of Venezuela's banks in spite of President Hugo Chávez's efforts to prevent it.

PHOENIX, Ariz. (BP)--Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain isn't a Southern Baptist, but he's closer to being one than you might think.

PHILADELPHIA (BP)--As teaching pastor of Epiphany Fellowship Church in inner-city Philadelphia, William "Duce" Branch also is a Christian rap artist. The group he co-founded, The Cross Movement, has received two Grammy nominations.

COAMO, Puerto Rico (BP)--For Adalberto Munoz and Elga Torres, married for 23 years and living in Coamo, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean island had turned from paradise into a living nightmare by November 2006.

DALLAS (BP)--Southern Baptist churches are catching a vision of taking the Gospel to people groups that have never heard -- even when there is no missionary to help them, International Mission Board trustees were told during their April 7-9...

PARKVILLE, Mo. (BP)--For some reason unknown to humankind, my older brother once got to play golf on the distinguished Augusta National golf course, the course where perhaps the best tournament of the year is held -- The Masters.

LEWISVILLE, N.C. (BP)--A LifeWay Research study reveals that the top challenge facing small-church pastors is finding enough hours in the day to do the Lord's work.

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...

LEWISVILLE, N.C. (BP)--David didn't ask for a break when he faced Goliath. And a church shouldn't have an inferiority complex because it is small in size, said Frank Page, president of the Southern Baptist Convention. If a church reaches out to...

RICHMOND, Va. (BP)--Southern Baptist missionaries and local Baptists in Zimbabwe are appealing for prayer amid mounting tensions as the country's electoral commission delays release of March 29 election results.

NEW ORLEANS (BP)--Plans to discontinue use of FEMA trailers in New Orleans have added a new sense of urgency to Southern Baptists' Operation NOAH Rebuild, a three-year initiative to rebuild or repair Hurricane Katrina-ravaged homes.

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.

CARLINVILLE, Ill. (BP)--Carlinville Southern Baptist Church "can do everything we want in the new facility except use it for worship," the church's First Amendment attorney, Daniel Dalton, said.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--April Fool's Day is behind us, but it is still close enough for some people -- like me -- to slip in some tongue-in-cheek jesting. So in honor of April Fool's Day, this list is for all those churches who really would rather...

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)--For the 20th consecutive year, Southern Baptists' "Crossover" will relay the Gospel throughout the host city for June's SBC annual meeting.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Concerned citizens who e-mail McDonald's to protest the restaurant chain's support of the homosexual agenda are receiving an e-mail response from McDonald's defending their actions.

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.

WASHINGTON (BP)--National Right to Life has endorsed presumptive Republican nominee John McCain for president, giving him a significant boost in his effort to attract social conservatives.

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--A recent USA TODAY article described the problem law enforcement agencies have with uncooperative witnesses to murders and other violent crime. The rate of solved murders throughout the United States is down because of the...

ORIGINALLY POSTED Saturday, April 5, 2008.

OPELIKA, Ala. (BP)--My husband's face turned pasty white and he began to sweat profusely. His trembling hands gripped the corners of the linen-clothed table in the center of the elegant, gourmet restaurant. "Jim, what's happening?" I quickly...

ORIGINALLY POSTED Saturday, April 5, 2008.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton told a Philadelphia homosexual newspaper she would work to advance "gay rights" as president, including possibly signing into law a bill that would grant same-sex couples the...

NEW ORLEANS (BP)--By the time Fred Luter Jr. was called as pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in 1986, the blue-collar neighborhood south of Interstate 10 had transitioned from white to black.

NEW ORLEANS (BP)--Imagine the nation's worst natural disaster striking your home. Water nine feet deep. No more books. No more furniture. No more safety or security.

JENA, La. (BP)--The revival that began Feb. 17 in Jena, La., continues this week, April 7-11, and may conclude during its eighth week -- a biblical number for "new beginnings."

NEW ORLEANS (BP)--From the time her son was a young teen, Viola Brooks knew he would be a pastor one day.

SAN ANTONIO (BP)--Quentin Thomas ended his North Carolina career Saturday night as the winningest player in the Tarheels' storied history.

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--"If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn't," the famed literary character Alice quipped. "And contrary wise; what it is wouldn't be, and...

POSTED Saturday, April 5, 2008.

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.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (BP)--Let's make this short and sweet. It would be taken for granted by any serious historian that any ideology or worldview would partake of the culture in which it grew up and would also be largely influenced by the...

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--A controversial documentary set for release nationwide April 18 could foster a cultural shift "equivalent to the fall of the Berlin Wall," says William Dembski, research professor of philosophy at Southwestern Baptist...

POSTED on Saturday, April 5, 2008.

POSTED on Saturday, April 5, 2008.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Some 200 students at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary recently got a free sneak preview of the upcoming documentary "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed," and they gave it high marks.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Maj. Gen. Douglas Carver, the U.S. Army's chief of chaplains and a graduate of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, challenged students to passionately serve God and to pray for the military during a chapel service at the...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--A new iLiveValues.com initiative of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission is calling Baptists and other evangelicals to apply their faith-informed convictions in all areas of life, not just at the ballot...

HARRISON, Ark. (BP)--Patricia Zimmerman, a 71-year-old widow in Arkansas, has led nearly 300 strangers to Christ. But the retired registered nurse and substitute teacher never had to leave her home in the heart of the Ozarks to do so.

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)--McDonald's, known for its distinctive golden arches and, here in the South, its dollar sweet tea, is now being recognized for the dubious distinction of having a member of its executive team on the board of directors of the...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (BP)--The National Enquirer took an editorial potshot at Florida Baptist Witness executive editor James A. Smith Sr. in their April 7 edition -- and Smith couldn't be more pleased.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (BP)--In America's celebrity-driven culture, perhaps the most harmful "Pied Piper" of heresies leading millions astray is Oprah Winfrey. Her adoption of anti-biblical doctrine is on display every day this year through her...

ARKADELPHIA, Ark. (BP)--Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, in a brief visit to his alma mater -- Ouachita Baptist University -- described some aspects of his presidential campaign as "just incredible fun."

OKLAHOMA CITY (BP)--Hundreds rallied at the Oklahoma state capitol April 2 to show their support for Republican state Rep. Sally Kern, a Southern Baptist whose comments about homosexuality have drawn nationwide attention and even death treats.

WASHINGTON (BP)--American children are becoming victims of human sex trafficking, according to statistics released by Shared Hope International.

JACKSON, Tenn. (BP)--Tennessee Baptist Convention President Tom McCoy reiterated his request for a special offering April 6 in the state's churches to help Union University recover from a Feb. 5 tornado that caused an estimated $40 million in...

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (BP)--By now, most seeking G-rated movie fare for the family have seen "College Road Trip" or "Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears A Who."

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.

LONG BEACH, Miss. (BP)--At first glance it looked as though First Baptist Church had been completely destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, but that was before the character of its people and the cooperative spirit of Southern Baptists kicked in.

WASHINGTON (BP)--Conservative evangelical Christians continue to influence government policies, but they also are facing the challenge of responding to additional issues, pro-family leaders said in a National Press Club panel discussion.

MACON, Ga. (BP)--Serving at the LifeWay Christian Store in Macon, Ga., is a family tradition for Daren DuBose, who has been named as the chain's 2007 manager of the year.

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--When you are in the center of God's will, you are in the middle of action. Even when you are waiting on the will of God for a specific situation, it is still action packed.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--"Eternal Impact: The Passion of Kingdom-Centered Communities," the latest component of the Empowering Kingdom Growth study series, conveys first-century church principles for the success of modern congregations.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Rather than continuing a myopic mindset of growing one's own church to the neglect of other needs, churches across the Southern Baptist Convention are catching on to the idea that advancing God's Kingdom often means...

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.

LEESBURG, Va. (BP)--Most parents receive the news that they are "expecting" with joy and excitement. For some, however, the good news turns sour when they learn that their unborn or newly born child has Down syndrome or is afflicted with some...

NASHVILLE (BP)--Baptist leaders in the former Soviet Union are catching a vision of fulfilling the Great Commission as they learn more about Empowering Kingdom Growth and Thy Kingdom Come, according to Southern Baptists who have been working with...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Evangelicals are less likely than the overall population to divorce, although one out of every four evangelicals who are or have been married nevertheless have gone through at least one divorce, according to a new study by...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (BP)--Arkansas Baptists have been known for their disaster relief feeding teams and chainsaw teams that offer aid following tornadoes, hurricanes, ice storms and other disasters. But they have no mud-out teams to call on when...

ANGOLA, La. (BP)--The inmate, seeing a visitor's Southern Baptist nametag, said, "Thank you, thank you, please tell Southern Baptists thank you.

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--"One Jesus is historical and we know next to nothing about him," writes Deepak Chopra in his new book, "The Third Jesus." The New Age philosopher continues, "Another Jesus is the one appropriated by Christianity. He was...

BERLIN, Md. (BP)--"Our first year, we grew like wildfire," said Daryl McCready, pastor of SonRise Church in Berlin, Md., near the Ocean City resort area.

ROXANA, Del. (BP)--Church planters Andy and Tanya Ehlers started High Tide Baptist Church by walking their dog in a park.

WASHINGTON (BP)--Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean reportedly said during a court deposition recently that he personally supports "gay marriage," a stance that if true would make him but the latest major Democratic figure to...

WASHINGTON (BP)--Oregon recorded more deaths by physician-assisted suicide in 2007 than in any year in the decade since the practice was legalized.

EL CAJON, Calif. (BP)--A man working on an icy bridge fell 70 feet into the river. The current began moving the injured man downstream. Watching, a passing barge captain was faced with a life-or-death decision. Knowing the worker would freeze and...

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (BP)--Waves roll in and lap gently at beer cans scattered for miles along the condominium-lined beach. Music blares as scantily clad college students pour alcohol into funnels while other students chug it through a...

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (BP)--If Angel Ellis were to hold a political office, perhaps it would be mayor of a small city, except that "diva" might be an appropriate title for her role.

JENA, La. (BP)--The revival that began Feb. 17 in Jena, La., is moving into the heart of the black community as it enters its seventh week March 31.

RICHMOND, Va. (BP)--Faith, culture and business often travel together -- for better and worse.

DALLAS (BP)--A recent Washington Post column has blogosphere feminists a little upset.

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.

DALLAS (BP)--Nearly half of all Americans take at least one maintenance prescription drug, but studies show that changes to lifestyle -- especially diet and exercise -- can improve some conditions to the point of eliminating the need for...

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.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (BP)--When King Solomon began building the temple in Jerusalem in the 10th century B.C., it took 80,000 stonecutters to lay the foundation.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Weak prayer lives among God's people have led to spiritual decline in churches across America, Southern Baptist Convention President Frank Page said at a Great Commission Prayer Conference at Southern Baptist Theological...

NEW ORLEANS (BP)--Most doctoral students dream of seeing their dissertation in print. Rex Butler, associate professor of church history and patristics at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, has seen that dream realized.

KRAKOW, Poland (BP)--When Jerry Goss attended a revival service "to please my wife" in 1992, the only Bible passage he knew was the Ten Commandments from the 1956 Charlton Heston movie.

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

BUCHAREST, Romania (BP)--Cornel Tuns navigates many of the roads he traveled as a child in Romania as he locates Roma Gypsy villages near the capital city of Bucharest.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--An unusually high number of faculty members at Baylor University have been denied tenure this semester, and one former Baylor professor believes the denials reflect the school's decision to turn away from its Baylor 2012...

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--Before our south Louisiana dinner of crawfish and shrimp on Good Friday, my 11-year-old son, Jeremy, prayed a great prayer. "Lord," he said, "Please help people to know there is more to Easter than chocolate and bunnies. Help...

JACKSON, Tenn. (BP)--Scholarship America has made a $270,000 donation to U