NASHVILLE (BP) – Frank S. Page recalls the moment 10 years ago when he learned the single mother held captive in her Atlanta-area home by an accused murderer and rapist was the same Ashley Smith he had baptized when she was 12 years old. National attention focused on news reports of the manhunt for Brian Nichols, who killed a judge and three others in his escape from an Atlanta courthouse while accused of rape. As the story unfolded on live news coverage, it became clear Nichols had taken … [Read more...]
Bumpers: ‘Earnestly cry out’ for awakening
COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) – God can send the flames of spiritual awakening that the church and nation so desperately need, Eddie Bumpers told messengers during his convention sermon June 17 at the SBC annual meeting in Columbus, Ohio. "It is possible for God to send revival to bring us to a place of new obedience to God, a new commitment to the Great Commission and the Great Command of the Lord Jesus," said Bumpers, pastor of Crossway Baptist Church in Springfield, Mo. Bumpers said the … [Read more...]
Floyd & former SBC presidents take marriage stance
COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP) -- The current and 16 former Southern Baptist Convention presidents released a statement on biblical marriage and the national implications of same-sex marriage in a June 17 news conference prior to the concluding sessions of the SBC annual meeting in Columbus, Ohio. The full statement follows: As Southern Baptist Christians, we are committed to Biblical faith and ethics. As a result, this body of Believers stands on the authority of Scripture and God's Truth as … [Read more...]
IMB to align missionary requirements with BF&M
RICHMOND, Va. (BP) – The International Mission Board’s (IMB) new policy on missionary qualifications – replacing previous restrictions related to baptism, speaking in tongues and divorce among other matters – represents an effort to keep basic requirements from going beyond the Baptist Faith and Message, IMB President David Platt told reporters May 14. “We want it to be simple and clear that what’s driving us doctrinally is what all these churches [of the Southern Baptist Convention] have … [Read more...]
SBC reports more churches, fewer people
By Carol Pipes NASHVILLE (BP) -- Southern Baptists are adding more churches but serving fewer members who are giving fewer dollars, 2014 data compiled by LifeWay Christian Resources shows. The number of cooperating churches within the Southern Baptist Convention rose for the 15th consecutive year, but the churches lost more than 200,000 members, the biggest one-year decline since 1881, according to the Annual Church Profile (ACP) compiled by LifeWay in cooperation with Baptist state … [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...]
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...]
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...]
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...]
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
- …
- 58
- 59
- 60
- 61
- 62
- …
- 75
- Next Page »