FERGUSON – Six days after the St. Louis County grand jury announced it would not indict the white officer who shot and killed a black man in August, six days after protestors grabbed headlines anew and shutdown highways and six days after rioters burned down the Little Caesar’s pizza chain directly across the street from the church, blacks and whites filed into First Baptist Church here Nov. 30 to worship together, and ask God to heal the city’s all-too-visible wounds. Stoney Shaw, the … [Read more...]
Legislature appeals KC same-sex marriage case
KANSAS CITY – Leaders of the Missouri General Assembly filed court papers Nov. 26 in Kansas City seeking an appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court to defend the marriage amendment in the Missouri Constitution that was approved by more than one million voters in 2004. The motion to intervene by the General Assembly seeks review of a ruling by a Kansas City judge striking down the state constitutional provision. The action became necessary after Attorney General Chris Koster refused to appeal … [Read more...]
Five Biblical Response to Ferguson
A few days ago, we hosted the Heartland Prayer Summit 2 in Ferguson, Mo. It was an amazing experience. No doubt the Lord heard men and women of God calling out in faith. Now history records the brokenness of our culture. Ferguson is permanently scarred. However, our God remains faithful to His people. He is the hope for change and restoration. Our priority is to draw near to Him. One of the facilitators for the prayer summit is Bill Elliff. In response to the tragedy in Ferguson, he … [Read more...]
Ferguson reaction: ‘how far we have to go’
NASHVILLE (BP) – Philadelphia pastor K. Marshall Williams, in the hours prior to the grand jury report declining to indict a white police officer in the shooting death of an 18-year-old black, observed: "When it comes to issues of racial justice, this verdict will show us how far as a nation that we have come and how far we have to go," said Williams, president of the National African American Fellowship within the Southern Baptist Convention. The entire tragedy in Ferguson, Mo. -- from … [Read more...]
Survey finds pastors favor immigration reform
NASHVILLE – The nation’s Protestant senior pastors want the U.S. government to mix justice with mercy when it comes to immigration reform. Most say it’s the government’s job to stop people from entering the country illegally. They also support reform that includes a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the country. And they believe Christians should help immigrants, no matter what their legal status. Those are among the findings of a new survey of 1,000 Protestant … [Read more...]
Obama’s actions unwise, counterproductive according to Russell Moore
WASHINGTON (BP) – President Obama’s new executive actions to change immigration policy imperil the growing, widespread agreement on reform, said the Southern Baptist Convention’s lead ethicist. Obama announced in prime time Thursday (Nov. 20) his orders, which include most controversially a plan to protect an estimated five million undocumented immigrants from deportation. The president’s actions came after years of his own contentions that he did not have the legal authority to make or … [Read more...]
Ferguson is broken, Missouri Baptist strategist says
FERGUSON (Christian Examiner) – Long before a gunshot killed Michael Brown Jr., or a bottle rocket was tossed in the air to protest, the Heartland Prayer Summit was set to take place at First Baptist Church in Ferguson. With “worldwide attention” focused on Ferguson, God knew this moment would happen said Mark Snowden on a radio show hosted by Harold Hendrick on Bott Radio Network AM 1320 in St. Louis. “Our hearts break with the reconciliation that is needed and that will be a starting … [Read more...]
Six NC judges quit over same-sex ‘marriage’
RALEIGH, N.C. (LifeSiteNews) – In the wake of a federal court decision legalizing same-sex “marriage” in North Carolina, at least six magistrates in the state have resigned rather than be forced to officiate such unions. These magistrates included four Southern Baptists, as well as one Missionary Baptist and one Wesleyan. All stepped down, since October 10, because they believe marriage is a union between one man and one woman. They are: John Kallam Jr. (Rockingham County), Gilbert … [Read more...]
Jehovah’s Witness ordered to pay $13.5 million for abuse
A San Diego judge has found that the governing body of the Jehovah’s Witness church covered up years of sexual abuse by a local church leader and continued to put children in danger of being molested. The church’s hierarchal body, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, was ordered Oct, 29 to pay $13.5 million in damages to Jose Lopez for the abuse he suffered in 1986 at the age of 7 as part of the church’s Linda Vista Spanish congregation. Six other men and one woman who said they … [Read more...]
Missouri House Speaker Jones forms committee on accountability
JEFFERSON CITY – House Speaker Tim Jones is asking a group of his colleagues to take a closer look at allegations of various questionable schemes dealing with campaign contributions and investigations within the office of the Missouri Attorney General. Jones today announced the formation of the House Oversight Committee on Public Officials and Government Accountability to conduct a thorough investigation of the numerous alleged improprieties and political shakedowns as outlined in a recent … [Read more...]
Ferguson prayer summit calls for revival
FERGUSON – As snowflakes swirled outside and rumors of potential grand jury actions swirled across town, a hundred Missouri Baptists gathered for a prayer summit at First Baptist here to pray for the community, the state and the nation. The prayer time was led by North American Mission Board’s Gary Frost and Arkansas pastor Bill Elliff. They led the crowd in a time of repentance, worship and intercession for themselves, and revival in their churches, their communities and beyond. They also … [Read more...]
Housing allowance decision overturned, dismissed
DALLAS — The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has overturned a lower court’s ruling that the minister’s housing allowance was unconstitutional. In the decision by the Chicago-based appeals court, it determined that the plaintiffs lacked standing to file the suit. The appeals court vacated the trial court’s judgment and remanded with instructions to dismiss the case. The plaintiff’s only recourse would be to seek review by the U.S. Supreme Court. The appeal was in response to a December … [Read more...]
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