David Roach/Baptist Press NASHVILLE (BP) – Rising death tolls in Iraq and Syria, where Muslim extremists are killing in the name of their faith, represent a stark contrast to the relative lack of religiously motivated killing among modern Christians – a contrast that seminary professors say is attributable to the principle of religious liberty. Religious violence declines wherever religious liberty “has been preached and practiced,” Rick Durst, professor of historical theology at … [Read more...]
MBC expands international ministry in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY – The Missouri Baptist Convention’s (MBC) Multiethnic Church Planting Center expanded its ministry to internationals within the state of Missouri during an MBC assessment of potential ministers here, June 27. The assessment forms part of Missouri Baptist efforts to make disciples of the nearly 250,000 men and women who have come to Missouri from around the world. The MBC’s church planting team assesses every potential Missouri Baptist church planter to help them find their … [Read more...]
Iraq conflict causes refugee crisis
Ava Thomas/Baptist Press MOSUL, Iraq (BP) – Sudden intense fighting in Iraq has prompted a “double crisis” in the region, with Iraqi refugees compounding the already heavy burden of the Syrian refugee crisis, said Don Alan,* a Christian leader in the region. Half a million Iraqis left Mosul last week when the city fell under attacks by extremist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), fleeing with their families into Kurdish-ruled northern Iraq and neighboring countries. … [Read more...]
Students share Christ in Brazil amid World Cup frenzy
Alan Brant/Baptist Press RIO DE JANEIRO (BP) – There were no flashbulbs or television cameras, only teammates – mostly children half his size and barefoot – who celebrated and mobbed Dane Van Ryckeghem after he assisted in a goal during the game. The frenzy of World Cup soccer had nothing on the jubilant Brazilian neighborhood kids playing with visitors from the United States on a soggy field on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. Van Ryckeghem, a student at the University of Alabama in … [Read more...]
Blunt Pleads for Ibrahim, Abedini
Sen. Roy Blunt (R., Mo.) on the Senate floor Wednesday urged the U.S. to protect the rights of religious minorities throughout the world. Blunt specifically called for the release of Meriam Ibrahim and Pastor Saeed Abedini, who are both jailed for their religious beliefs. Speaking about Ibrahim, Blunt stated, “I think asylum in the United States for her U.S. citizen husband, children, and her would be an appropriate thing. And the danger they feel they face by someone who’s willing to … [Read more...]
Huckabee in Israel, visits family of kidnapped girls
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has traveled to Israel and his first stop was to visit with the family of one of the three Israeli teenagers abducted nearly two weeks ago by Hamas terrorists. The teens, one an American citizen, were kidnapped as they walked home from their religious high school on Israel’s West Bank. Huckabee, a former president of the Arkansas Baptist Convention and now a Fox News Channel personality, is pondering a run for president in 2016 and is known for his strong … [Read more...]
Soccer star lives life for Jesus
Andrew Branch/World News Service (WNS) – As his native Brazil hosts the month-long World Cup tournament, soccer star Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite wants you to know that he is a Christian. Ricardo, better known only as Kaká, is a 32-year-old Brazilian who plays for AC Milan in Italy. Though left off this year’s World Cup team, Kaká has played in the last three World Cups for Brazil, winning it in 2002. He grew in popularity and won FIFA’s highest honor, the Ballon d’Or, in 2007. “I … [Read more...]
SBC to launch hunger campaign
Mark Kelly/Baptist Press NASHVILLE (BP) – Southern Baptist World Hunger Fund (WHF) national partners will launch a new initiative during the June 10-11 Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) annual meeting that will continue the SBC’s unique “dollar in, dollar out” approach in the battle against hunger across North America and overseas. Global Hunger Relief (GHR)will maintain continuity with the purposes and focus of the World Hunger Fund while presenting the cause of hunger relief to a new … [Read more...]
Chocolate center of Muslim boycott
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – A Muslim group is calling for a boycott of Cadbury after two types of chocolate produced by the company were found to have traces of pork DNA. Pork products are not “halal,” or permissible under Islamic law. “This will teach all companies in Malaysia to maintain and protect the sensitivities of Malaysians,” Sheik Abdul Kareem Khadaied, the head of research with the Muslim Consumers Association Malaysia, told a press conference. “This is an issue that cuts across … [Read more...]
Southwestern admits Muslim
Gary K. Ledbetter/Southern Baptist Texan FORT WORTH (BP) – A Palestinian Muslim who assisted Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s Gezer archaeological project in Israel was admitted to the school’s Ph.D. in archaeology program, in an apparent exception to the seminary’s admissions policy. Seminary President Paige Patterson told the Southern Baptist Texan that the student enrolled at Southwestern last year because “he had no other options for Ph.D. work in his field” and because … [Read more...]
Nigerian Christians hopeful amid persecution
William Bagsby/Baptist Press NIGERIA (BP) – The Nigerian church leader was secretly housing new followers of Jesus, former Muslims. When the time came for his second child to be born, he left his house to carry his wife to a clinic. “While he was away with her, his home was attacked and the group scattered throughout the area,” said Aaron Bryson,* an International Mission Board (IMB) worker in Nigeria, recalling the situation in 2010. One man was killed at the scene and the group … [Read more...]
Abedini: Another birthday in prison
May 7 marked Saeed Abedini’s second consecutive birthday in an Iranian prison. The American pastor has been imprisoned since 2012 for allegedly working for an underground Christian church movement while assisting with an orphanage project. Abedini has been hospitalized for abuse from prison guards for several weeks after originally being denied treatment. “I have heard from thousands of people over the past couple of days wanting to wish Saeed a happy birthday,” said Abedini’s wife, … [Read more...]
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