DALLAS (BP) – Ronnie Floyd is the new president and CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee, elected today (April 2) by ballot vote in a called meeting in Dallas. Floyd received 68 of 69 votes cast, the EC said, electing Floyd in an executive session of nearly four hours. A former SBC president, Floyd will resign April 7 from the longtime pastorate of Cross Church in northwest Arkansas and begin his EC leadership immediately, he said in acceptance … [Read more...]
Chick-fil-A founder’s legacy served up in daughter’s new book
ATLANTA (BP) – Mountains fascinate Trudy Cathy White, from the mountaintop outside her childhood home where parents Jeannette and Truett Cathy of Chick-fil-A fame led family Bible studies to the rough spiritual mountains that have tried her faith. White, a Christian entrepreneur, speaker and former International Mission Board missionary, offers wisdom from personal mountaintops in a new book, “Climb Every Mountain: Finding God Faithful in the Journey of Life.” She and husband John built … [Read more...]
Breaking down walls, Detroit Baptists honor MLK
DETROIT (BP) – Not far from Eight Mile Road, a historic racial dividing line in Detroit, more than 100 diverse Southern Baptist pastors, state leaders and laypersons worshipped together on Martin Luther King Jr. day. The 7 p.m. service marked a milestone for 78-year-old African American pastor Robert Coverson, the event's preacher, who marched in Detroit with King during the civil rights movement. Many suburban residents are afraid to cross Eight Mile Road and venture into the deep inner … [Read more...]
Chinese Christians: We will ‘stand strong’
SICHAUN PROVINCE, China (BP) - As China continues to hunt down and arrest members of a house church in Sichuan Province, many of the 100 or more Christians arrested reportedly pledged in advance to persevere even until death. Gina Goh, Southeast Asia regional manager for International Christian Concern, said many leaders of Autumn Rain Covenant Church -- also translated by some as Early Rain Covenant Church -- counted the cost and pledged faithfulness in advance of arrests at homes, … [Read more...]
‘Love One Another’ 2019 Nat’l Day of Prayer theme
ROGERS, Ark. (BP) – “Love One Another” is the theme for the 2019 National Day of Prayer May 2, event president Ronnie Floyd announced today (Oct. 30). Anchored in John 13:34, the theme seeks to mobilize the nation in prayer on May 2 in every U.S. locale across generational, ethnic and linguistic lines, said Floyd, senior pastor of the multisite Cross Church in northwest Arkansas. “I realize that our task today is daunting and quite intimidating,” Floyd said in his Facebook announcement, … [Read more...]
‘Queen of soul’ Aretha Franklin rooted in Gospel
DETROIT (BP) – From the submissive surrender of her “Amazing Grace” to the womanly exclamations of “Respect” and other provocative hits, the late queen of soul Aretha Franklin is widely remembered for the gospel music foundations she learned at her father’s Baptist church. New Bethel Baptist Church (non-SBC), the Detroit congregation where Franklin grew up singing in the choir and performing solos, grieved her death Aug. 16 at age 76 of advanced pancreatic cancer. Franklin’s popularity in … [Read more...]
‘Mormon’ name too common to go away, many say
SALT LAKE CITY (BP) – Mormon and LDS will likely remain widespread monikers for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, theologians and marketing insiders say, despite the church leader's directive for change. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. is among those to predict that the common names of the church will remain in popular use, days after church president Russell M. Nelson issued a public statement asking that everyone discontinue the … [Read more...]
Again: Colo. says cake artist Jack Phillips broke law
DENVER (BP) – Christian cake artist Jack Phillips is in court again, defending the same religious freedom right the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed on his behalf in a previous case in June. This time, transgender attorney Autumn Scardina filed a discrimination complaint against Phillips for refusing to bake a birthday cake celebrating Scardina's transition from a male to female identity. Pink cake on the inside and blue frosting on the outside describes the cake Scardina requested. The … [Read more...]
Case against Army chaplain called ‘anti-religious’
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (BP) – A U.S. Army investigator ignored key evidence in saying a Southern Baptist chaplain was derelict in his duties for rescheduling a marriage retreat to accommodate a lesbian couple, the chaplain's attorney said. Army Chaplain Jerry Scott Squires refused to conduct a Strong Bonds marriage retreat because a lesbian officer planned to attend, the investigating officer identified as Major Ford said at the close of an extended investigation. Squires is endorsed by … [Read more...]
Rwanda closes thousands of churches, arrests 6 pastors
KIGALI, Rwanda (BP) -- An estimated 6,000 churches have been closed across Rwanda and six pastors arrested in a government crackdown that began March 1 with 700 closures in the nation's capital of Kigali, according to news reports. The six pastors, who reportedly tried to rally public support for the churches in Kigali, were accused of "masterminding" a plot to disobey the government, the BBC reported March 6. The closures come as the Rwanda Governance Board (RGO) is conducting a … [Read more...]
‘I Can Only Imagine’ film still strong in 4th week
LOS ANGELES (BP) -- The MercyMe faith biopic "I Can Only Imagine" continues to draw strong audiences nearly a month after its debut, grossing $68.5 million and gaining 1,200 more theater screens. Featuring the story behind MercyMe's crossover megahit of the same name, I Can Only Imagine placed sixth at the box office in its fourth weekend April 6-8, earning nearly $8 million and showing in 246 more theaters over the previous weekend, Box Office Mojo reported. Roadside Attractions' … [Read more...]
Sweden 1st to offer payouts to sterilized transsexuals
STOCKHOLM, Sweden (BP) -- Transgender Swedes forcibly sterilized to expressly prevent reproduction are eligible for payouts of about $27,000 each under a new law that is reportedly the first of its kind worldwide. Sweden's one-house parliament, the Riksdag, adopted the legislation March 21 affecting people forced to undergo sexual sterilization under the Gender Recognition Act of 1972 before changing their gender designation on legal documents. "People who applied to change their … [Read more...]
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