WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Obama administration has said they have no plans to tie grants to faith-based humanitarian organizations to hiring employees that may violate the organization’s religious beliefs, but reports previously indicated otherwise. Reports from the Liberty Council and the Center for Family and Human Rights suggested the rule change would require all entities that accept federal grant money – including faith-based ones – not discriminate against homosexuals or transsexuals in … [Read more...]
SBC Columbus: Praying for next Great Awakening
COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) – For an “epic night of prayer” during the Southern Baptist Convention, 11 pastors have been named by SBC President Ronnie Floyd to help lead the Tuesday evening session, June 16, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in the Ohio capital. Floyd has titled the session, “A National Call for Prayer to All Southern Baptists for the Next Great Awakening and to Reach the World for Christ” on the opening night of the June 16-17 SBC annual meeting. “We will join together … [Read more...]
Wells nominated for 14th term
COLUMBUS, Ohio – James T. Draper, formerly a pastor, Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) president and president of LifeWay Christian Resources, has announced that he will nominate Jim Wells, strategic partners team leader for the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC), for his 14th term as SBC registration secretary during the 2015 SBC annual meeting here, June 16-17. “I’ve known Jim for 50 years and have great confidence in him,” Draper said, adding that he “watched him mature as a very … [Read more...]
Deadline looms for churches
DALLAS (BP) – Churches and ministries that reimburse their employees for individual health coverage may soon find themselves facing stiff penalties of up to $36,500 per employee, per year, under the federal health care law commonly known as Obamacare, as a grace period expires June 30. The penalties on employers who maintain employer payment plans were to begin in January, but the IRS granted a six-month reprieve. Organizations that offer GuideStone health plans are not at risk of these … [Read more...]
Historic floods draw Baptist relief efforts
HOUSTON (BP) -- Southern Baptists of Texas Convention disaster relief leaders had "boots on the ground" in Houston Thursday (May 28) following a month of historic rains and tornadoes across Texas and Oklahoma that led to deadly flooding over Memorial Day weekend with at least 15 dead and hundreds evacuated. While images of separated families in raging waters, floating cars, submerged intersections and uprooted caskets caught the nation's attention and caused an outpouring of concern, … [Read more...]
Bumpers preparing for SBC sermon
SPRINGFIELD – Crossway Baptist Church’s 1,800 attendance on a Sunday is nothing to sneeze at, but pastor Eddie Bumpers is preparing to preach to a crowd that could top 7,000 in Columbus, Ohio. Bumpers said he is still considering what the Lord would have him say to messengers at the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) June 17 when he preaches the “convention sermon” slated for 4:30 the final day of the meeting. “Either I’m going to be speaking about Elijah on Mt. Carmel or I’m going to look … [Read more...]
Google update could decrease churches’ web traffic
NASHVILLE (BP) – A change in Google’s formula for prioritizing search results could keep churches without mobile-friendly websites from being as visible online to potential visitors. Starting April 21, Google updated its algorithms for searches done from mobile devices to give higher placement in the results to websites that are compatible with such devices. That means churches with older, more basic websites may not appear among the top results when, for example, mobile phone users search … [Read more...]
Payday loans targeted by SBC’s ERLC
WASHINGTON (BP) – The Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission has helped launch a religious coalition seeking an end to the predatory loan industry. The ERLC joined with other religious organizations, May 14, to announce the Faith for Just Lending Coalition at a Capitol Hill news conference. The diverse alliance that includes Baptists, other evangelical Christians and mainline Protestants seeks to raise awareness about predatory lending and to motivate individuals, … [Read more...]
The challenge before us this Memorial Day
As we pause to remember the more than 1.3 million members of America’s Armed Forces who have died in defense of our freedom (2,487 Missourians in World War II, 4,660 Missourians from the Korean War through Iraqi Freedom), Pathway Associate Editor Ben Hawkins reminded me this week of a reason Christians ought to be engaged in public policy: Out of gratitude for benefits received and debt owed. Ben said it seems that Christians who want to leave politics and patriotism behind forget the men … [Read more...]
Jack Graham: It’s ‘crying time in America’
WASHINGTON (BP) – Pleas for revival and religious freedom were heard repeatedly at the National Day of Prayer service May 7 in Washington, including the keynote address by Southern Baptist pastor Jack Graham and a letter he read from imprisoned pastor Saeed Abedini. Graham, pastor of the 40,000-member Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, and a former Southern Baptist Convention president, served as honorary chairperson of the National Day of Prayer Task Force. “We are facing a … [Read more...]
Social Media: Six hashtag dos & don’ts for churches
NASHVILLE (BP) – The hashtag (or # symbol) has become vital for online communication over the last few years. Church and ministry leaders can use it to better engage their target audience and bring a Christian perspective to popular topics on social media. Though the hashtag is now used on a number of social media platforms for similar purposes, the symbol first became popular on Twitter in 2007. While it’s frequently used today to add emphasis (#Truth) or sarcasm (#Really?) to the end of … [Read more...]
Missourian keeps Beach Reachers on the road
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. – Not many people can spend Spring Break in one of the party hotspots of the world and never wiggle toes in the sand or wade out into the surf, but Denise Banderman did just that. She spent two full weeks as part of LifeWay’s volunteer event staff for Beach Reach, a ministry aimed at partying college students that descend on the beach each year. Banderman, a member of Stonebridge Community Church in Jefferson City, has been working with Beach Reach since 2003. This … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 118
- 119
- 120
- 121
- 122
- …
- 159
- Next Page »