PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (BP) –Hurricane Matthew wreaked havoc in Haiti and Cuba Oct. 4, destroying homes, fields and businesses and driving thousands from their homes in a part of the Caribbean where many people already struggle day by day just to survive. Baptist Global Response, a Southern Baptist humanitarian organization, is monitoring the situation in both countries to determine what response might be most appropriate and effective. Winds of 145 mph lashed Haiti, along with heavy rain … [Read more...]
Missionary to Russia loses appeal on anti-evangelism law
ORYOL, Russia (BP) – A Baptist missionary convicted under Russia’s new anti-evangelism law and compelled to end his ministry there has lost his first court appeal in Oryol, Russia, but has vowed to continue legally fighting for the cause of religious freedom. An appeals court judge Sept. 30 upheld the conviction of Donald Ossewaarde on charges of conducting missionary activities in violation of the new law that prohibits evangelizing outside church walls and without a government … [Read more...]
Norway allows children to legally change gender
NORWAY (BP) – Norwegians as young as 6 can now legally change their gender using an online form – without a doctor’s approval, counseling, or surgery. The law, adopted with a 79-13 vote by the Norwegian parliament in June, makes Norway the fifth country in the world to pass a similar law, and the second behind Malta to include children. While the process in Malta requires a parent to seek court approval for the gender change, children in Norway apply for the change using the same process … [Read more...]
CCCU adopts new membership policy
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (BP) – The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities has adopted new guidelines to address evolving differences among member schools on the definition of marriage. “We believe that this document rightly articulates both the core and the breadth of the CCCU in a way that will make us the most effective witness and advocate for Christian higher education,” board chairman Charles Pollard, president of John Brown University, wrote to CCCU presidents in a letter dated … [Read more...]
Phoenix SBC 2017 hotel registration opens Oct. 1
PHOENIX (BP) – Housing reservations opened Oct. 1 for the Southern Baptist Convention 2017 Annual Meeting set for June 13-14 at the Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N. 3rd St. in Phoenix. Online reservations may be made around the clock at sbcannualmeeting.net/sbc17/pdf/2017Housing.pdf. Reservations by phone were available beginning Oct. 3 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Eastern time Monday through Friday at 1-800-967-8852 toll-free or 1-847-996-5832. “We are busily preparing for and looking forward to … [Read more...]
National CP giving up, Missouri sending half a million more
NASHVILLE (BP) – The Southern Baptist Convention ended its fiscal year $9.23 million (4.95 percent) over its 2015–2016 budgeted goal and $6.57 million over the previous year’s Cooperative Program (CP) Allocation Budget gifts, according to Frank S. Page, president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee. In Missouri, year-to-date CP giving is roughly on par with giving at this time last year, and is running 3.61 percent behind the budgeted goal. Even so, Missouri Baptists are sending more … [Read more...]
Russian anti-evangelism case appeal postponed
ORYOL, Russia (BP) – A Baptist missionary’s appeal of a judgment against him for teaching a Bible study in his home in Oryol, Russia, was postponed in the middle of proceedings Sept. 19 when the judge said additional witnesses were needed to continue. Donald Ossewaarde, who appealed a $600 fine under Russia’s new law prohibiting organizations from evangelizing outside church walls and without a permit, said his attorney believes the postponement is a delay tactic designed to sidestep … [Read more...]
Southern Baptists to celebrate CP
NASHVILLE (BP) – “Great Commission Advance” shouldn’t be mistaken for a formal program. It’s more personal. It’s a call for “every Southern Baptist and every Southern Baptist church living up to the high calling of disciple-making, evangelism and missions, biblical stewardship and fervent and effective prayer,” as Frank S. Page, president of the SBC Executive Committee, defines the focus of a growing partnership between state conventions and SBC entities. Simply put: “We follow Jesus, we … [Read more...]
Global Hunger Sunday set for Oct. 8
NASHVILLE (BP) – Baptist Global Response, a Southern Baptist humanitarian aid organization, has published a new media kit to help churches promote Global Hunger Sunday, Oct. 9. The kit contains a poster, promotional video, announcement slide, three versions of a bulletin insert and three hunger-related sermon outlines. Southern Baptist churches can use these resources to raise awareness about Global Hunger Sunday, an annual giving event for Global Hunger Relief (GHR). Formerly known as the … [Read more...]
Prayer in Charlotte counters ‘hurt, anger’
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (BP) – “Hurt” and “anger” have met with prayer in troubled Charlotte, N.C., where Southern Baptist pastors are praying and encouraging peace and reason amid violent protests and a declared state of emergency after the police killing of Keith Lamont Scott. Christians of various denominations held prayer services today (Sept. 22) and yesterday after police shot and killed 43-year-old Scott, a black man, while looking for a suspect in an unrelated incident. Charlotte policeman … [Read more...]
Teen’s trek to secluded apt. complex takes a turn
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (BP) – It might be easy to look at Hallay Cagle’s life and ministry and think the doors just swung wide open. Not so. “The community was very closed off,” Cagle said of a Mixteco population living in a secluded apartment complex in Montgomery, Ala. She’d gone there as a high schooler trying to build relationships with what she thought was a Spanish-speaking people group from Mexico. “We went there to do a backyard Bible club, and we had brought a Spanish translator with … [Read more...]
EC recommends expanding membership
NASHVILLE (BP) – Four state conventions would gain representation on the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee under a recommendation adopted during the EC’s Sept. 19-20 meeting in Nashville for presentation at the SBC annual meeting in June 2017. The recommendation would amend SBC Bylaw 18 to exempt the Dakotas, Iowa, Minnesota-Wisconsin and Montana Baptist conventions from Bylaw 30’s requirement that territories have 15,000 members in cooperating Baptist churches to qualify … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- …
- 38
- Next Page »