Stories from "Baptist Press"

LEXINGTON, Ky. (BP)--The Prince family rang in the second day of the New Year with a lunch of Vienna sausages, sliced cheese and chips. While certainly not the most upscale lunch cuisine, it was quite functional for a quick lunch amid a day of...

GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador (BP)--He is undeniably their leader.

GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador (BP)--Seven years of moisture and exposure through the cheap, wooden frame have soiled the thin paper, but the faded certificate retains a prominent spot on the cement wall. Carlos Solis proudly points out the inscription: He is...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Year-to-date contributions through the Southern Baptist Convention's Cooperative Program are 4.99 percent behind the same time frame at the outset of 2008, according to a news release from SBC Executive Committee President...

PASADENA, Calif. (BP)--Abi, a young Hispanic woman, was one of thousands of people camped out on East Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, Calif., on New Year's Eve, waiting to see the 2009 Tournament of Roses Parade. She was unaware that the best news...

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--While researching the subject of New Year's resolutions I came across the following quote: "He who breaks a resolution is a weakling; He who makes one is a fool." The person from whom this quote flowed is obviously as much a...

CARTHAGE, Mo. (BP)--This is not your mama's church.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--On Christmas Eve, I attended a service at a Southern Baptist church that made me hope it was not representative of churches across our convention.

WASHINGTON (BP)--A commitment to religious liberty can pave the way for an American foreign policy with widespread backing, Southern Baptist leader Richard Land said at a Washington panel discussion.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--A new report indicates that the average child in America now spends 45 hours a week immersed in the media -- a multiple of the hours spent with parents or in the classroom.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--In every generation, the virgin birth of Jesus comes under attack, both from those within and those without the church. At the dawn of the 19th century (1799), Friedrich Schleiermacher, trying to make Christianity palatable...

WINDSOR, Colo. (BP)--The girls went from rack to rack, searching for the right size, color and look. One girl held up sweaters next to pants. Another found turtlenecks and jeans. A dress and matching tights lay neatly in the basket. Refusing to...

ROCHESTER, Minn. (BP)--Messengers to the annual meeting of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention looked back at their challenging beginnings and forward to a challenging future as they celebrated their 25th year as a two-state convention.

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary celebrated the final commencement ceremony of its centennial year Dec. 12 at Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--If someone in your family has a new cell phone on their Christmas list, you might want to get to Santa before he packs his sleigh.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP)--You've heard that digital television is coming. But what does it mean?

MARION, La. (BP)--Gerald and Rosie Cole are claiming Jesus' promise, "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them" (Matthew 18:20, HCSB).

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--"For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil," the Bible instructs, "and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." Whether they realize it or not, every person...

WASHINGTON (BP)--Recent developments demonstrate the campaign to legalize physician-assisted suicide continues to make progress.

WASHINGTON (BP)--Congress has approved legislation that supporters believe will strengthen both the domestic and international efforts to combat human trafficking.

Updated 5:04 p.m. Eastern with quote from Richard Land

DALLAS (BP)--The National Council of Churches has released a brochure castigating Christian Zionism as a dangerous movement that fosters fear and hatred of Muslims and non-Western Christians, as well as endangering peace in the Middle East.

LEESBURG, Va. (BP)--Necessity is the mother of invention. Just ask Van Welton.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The large majority of Southern Baptist pastors believe strongly in the Cooperative Program (CP) -- the Southern Baptist Convention's unified approach to missions support -- because it allows congregations to accomplish more...

BHUBANESWAR, India (BP)--About 2,100 Christian families driven from their homes in India's Orissa state are receiving badly needed relief supplies from Southern Baptists' world hunger and general relief funds.

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is "making difficult decisions in an effort to protect the institution from future financial crisis," according to a Dec. 16 news release from the Southern Baptist Convention...

WASHINGTON (BP)--A bipartisan U.S. panel has recommended Iraq be returned to a list of the world's worst violators of religious liberty for the first time since an American-led invasion liberated the Middle East country from Saddam Hussein's rule...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Young adults increasingly are making an impact in the world. "But it isn't so much happening in the church," said Jason Hayes, young adult ministry specialist for LifeWay Christian Resources.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--"In the traditional black church, most people only attend the worship service," said Jay Wells, director of LifeWay Christian Resources' ministry to black churches.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP)--As a member of Girls in Action, her view of the world soared far beyond the community where she lived. She dreamed of one day serving God in North Africa. Years later, as a physician, she delivered not only physical healing...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Todd Deaton, managing editor of the Baptist Courier, newsjournal of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, was elected Dec. 9 as editor of the Western Recorder, newsjournal of the Kentucky Baptist Convention.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The name of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was arrested Dec. 9 for, among other things, attempting to sell President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat, is not new to social conservatives who have battled him in the...

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--I have traveled throughout the Southern Baptist Convention this past year, helping dozens of local churches, associations and state conventions to more fully implement the Acts 1:8 partnership. As a result, I am amazed and...

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (BP)--Jeffrey Dawes* and a Mongolian believer hiked to a hillside village to see if there was anybody there who could help them start a church.

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (BP)--In an Ulaanbaatar conference room, five Mongolian men ages 26 to 57 sit around a table, fanned out like spokes of a wheel. One is a former Buddhist artist. Another served as an army officer for 26 years.

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (BP)--It took Daniel White* and his family about a week to reach their new home in the Mongolian countryside. They traveled in a four-wheel vehicle, bypassing sheep and goat herds, to haul family possessions to this remote...

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (BP)--Six days a week, two hours a day.

NEW ORLEANS (VP)--In 2005, Hurricane Katrina's floodwaters seemed unrelenting, but they stopped a block away from Baptist Friendship House.

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--"It is not a religious display," Dan Barker told Seattle's KING-TV. "It is an attack on religion."

RICHMOND, Va. (BP)--Somewhere in a Texas storage shed sits a reminder of the reason Mark Moses left home and headed overseas. It's a paper Moses, then 11 years old, wrote for a school assignment. The first line reads: "I want too be a misiunary...

ROME (BP)--Calling, to me, is a funny thing.

WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP)--Although it has been many years since Francis Schaeffer taught and shared his life with believers and seekers alike, his legacy of connecting the culture to Christ continues among a new generation.

WASHINGTON (BP)--A state affiliate of Planned Parenthood is offering a new service to Christmas shoppers -- gift certificates that can be redeemed for the killing of unborn children.

SAN ANSELMO, Calif. (BP)--Frank Pollard, longtime preacher on the former "Baptist Hour" radio broadcast and president of Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary from 1983-86, died Nov. 30 at his home in Anselmo, Calif., in the San Francisco area.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Year-to-date contributions through the Southern Baptist Convention's Cooperative Program are 0.16 percent behind the same time frame in 2007, according to a news release from SBC Executive Committee President and Chief...

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--Some 60 unique ornaments from each of the 42 Baptist conventions and associations partnering with the North American Mission Board -- from Alaska to Puerto Rico -- adorn one of the three Christmas trees in the board's lobby...

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)—Ministry can be messy. To reach alcoholics you have to be willing to smell some alcohol. When you deal with families in crisis, you are required to listen to stories of heartbreak. If you go into a prison, you open yourself to...

DALLAS (BP)--No one knows when the current stock market malaise will end, but history shows that past market crises do end and the markets do recover, said John R. Jones, chief operating officer of GuideStone Financial Resources.

CLOVER, S.C, (BP)--Another Monday, another day of feeding needy people at God's Kitchen for Sam Thompson and his wife Annie at New Beginnings Baptist Church in Clover, S.C.

DEVILLE, La. (BP)--In a time when many churches and organizations around the SBC are cutting budgets and staff, there's at least one evangelist who thinks recent hard financial times provide a great opportunity for the church.

RICHMOND, Va. (BP)--Eric Reese, a Southern Baptist missionary serving in Brazil through the International Mission Board, has been awarded the Pedro Ernesto Medal of Merit by the city of Rio de Janeiro. Also honored was Carlos Novaes, pastor of...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Pro-family issues once again dominated as the concerns most often expressed during the 41 state Baptist convention meetings this fall. Resolutions easily passed in defense of the sanctity of life, sexual purity and the...

RICHMOND, Va. (BP)--Nearly three tons of rice and beans were distributed to more than 300 homeless families in the Congo by International Mission Board missionaries and church partners Nov. 11-14.

WASHINGTON (BP)--Kadi Coe was almost midway through her pregnancy when she received the news her baby was diagnosed with Down syndrome.

AVONDALE, Ariz. (BP)--Messengers to the annual meeting of the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention, gathered Nov. 14 at First Southern Baptist Church in Avondale, adopted a $5.47 million operating budget for 2009 in a new streamlined one-day...

ROANOKE, Va. (BP)--The 12th annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia Nov. 10-11 drew 950 messengers and 250 guests to First Baptist Church in Roanoke, where messengers adopted a $9.5 million budget, welcomed 25 new...

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (BP)--Messengers to the annual meeting of the Alabama Baptist State Convention at First Baptist Church in Montgomery Nov. 18-19 adopted a record $46 million budget and marked record attendance for the Tuesday evening inspirational...

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--We have heard a lot about change over these last 18 months or so, and there's no doubt it is certainly headed our way. But when it comes to the mission field of North America, change is already here and it has been happening...

DOVER, Del. (BP)--Messengers to the 173rd annual meeting of the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware were reminded that more turbulent times are yet to come in the world but those who trust in Jesus have the hope that people so desperately seek.

AUSTIN, Texas (BP)--Should students in public schools be taught science by examining the strengths and weaknesses in evolution, or should they be taught only the materialistic/naturalistic strengths of evolution?

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (BP)--Focus on the Family is cutting 202 jobs as economic hardships threaten to reduce the charitable donations that comprise 95 percent of the nonprofit ministry's income.

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. (BP)--The Baptist Convention of New England celebrated 25 years as a convention and 50 years of Southern Baptist ministry in New England during its annual meeting, held Nov. 13-15 at the Courtyard Marriott in Marlborough, Mass.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP)--Amid the arid lands of Afghanistan, where hills and snow-capped mountains surround deserts and poppy fields, a cloud of war hovers over the terrain and all who inhabit it. But there are those who, with the help of...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Some moderate Republicans are urging the party to jettison social conservatives in order to reclaim the White House and Congress, but former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee believes it would be a mistake -- and result...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (BP)--Nearly 500 messengers gathered for the 102nd annual meeting of the Illinois Baptist State Association at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield Nov. 12-13, voting to increase Cooperative Program giving for the second year in...

NOTE TO READERS: Recently the International Mission Board released its 2008 Annual Statistical Report, which provides information on God's work around the world during the previous year. The following stories about London are the second part of a...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--"Fireproof" continued its impressive theatrical run in its eighth weekend, passing the $30 million mark -- a significant accomplishment considering it cost only $500,000 to make -- and staying in the top 15 in total gross,...

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--The North American Mission Board will launch the pilot of a new 30-minute TV program, "On Mission Xtra," Nov. 26 at 9:30 p.m. Eastern on the FamilyNet television network.

HOUSTON (BP)--"Who will come back for us?" a Zambian man cried out as Tommy and Cyndi Morreau departed his village.

PORTLAND, Ore. (BP)--Messengers to the 61st annual meeting of the Northwest Baptist Convention elected Oregon pastor Keith Evans to a second year-long term as president, approved a $5.8 million budget for ministry needs in 2009 and affirmed a...

WASHINGTON (BP)--A woman who is six months pregnant is being held in a Chinese hospital for a forced abortion under the government's infamous population control program.

LEESBURG, Va. (BP)--The election of the first African-American president of the United States was a great moment in American history.

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--Liberals tout themselves as progressive and open-minded. But just how tolerant of opposing viewpoints are they? We are likely to find out in the not-too-distant future.

ALBANY, Ga. (BP)--Heading into its eighth weekend, "Fireproof," the latest film from the moviemakers at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga., has grossed more than $28 million.

WASHINGTON (BP)--A city should not be required to include an exhibit from an unorthodox religious sect in a public park just because it has accepted a Ten Commandments monument for display in that setting, an attorney argued before the U.S....

RENO, Nev. (BP)--The Nevada Baptist Convention celebrated its 30th anniversary by welcoming nine new affiliated congregations including Filipino, Hispanic, Vietnamese and Korean churches.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--We all recognize the sometimes dramatic gap between our enrollment and our average attendance in Sunday School. But have you ever counted your active enrollment?

LENEXA, Kan. (BP)--Messengers were challenged to keep the old treasures of doctrine and cooperation while embracing new treasures at the 63rd annual meeting of the Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists at Westside Family Church in...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Most pastors of smaller-membership Southern Baptist churches see what God is calling their congregations to be and do and have laid the groundwork for accomplishing the mission, but their efforts to lead are frustrated by...

NORFOLK, Va. (BP)--"Tattoo, tattoo. Lights out in five minutes. Stand by for evening prayer....

OSAN, South Korea (BP)--Chaplain (CAPT) John Dobbs cares about hurting people. Dobbs, stationed at Osan Air Base in South Korea, is a 2002 graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He joined the Air Force chaplaincy program after...

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--Jared Vineyard can't remember a time when he did not have a sincere interest in the military. When he accepted Christ at a young age during Vacation Bible School at First Baptist Church in Mount Zion, Ill., he sang about...

NAPLES, Fla. (BP)--Truett Cathy, founder of the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain, was named the 2008 winner of the William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership on Nov. 7.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--"Fireproof" finished in the top 10 in its seventh weekend on a per-theater average and also crossed the $28 million mark in total gross, according to studio estimates.

ST. LOUIS (BP)--The six Missouri Baptist conservative leaders who make up the Peace Committee have concluded they need a mediator.

ST. LOUIS (BP)--A total of 13 candidates vied for office during the Missouri Baptist Convention's annual meeting, even though the messenger registration total, 1,058, was the lowest in 36 years.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--I couldn't believe it. How could those guys be so mean?

BENTLEY, La. (BP)--The words came slowly at first and then in a rush as 88-year-old Willis Prather started to recall memories buried long ago.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--As another Christmas season rolls around, so does the debate over whether to mention the word "Christmas" or opt for the generic "holiday" in retail sales and public events.

NORFOLK, Va. (BP)--Their lives center on missions, operations and training; strict time schedules; days and, often, months spent away from family; and a pressure to perform that can mean life or death. They live in a world that can be cold, devoid...

NORFOLK, Va. (BP)--In many ways, they are just as courageous and heroic.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--The election of Sen. Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States came as a bang, not a whimper. The tremors had been perceptible for days, maybe even weeks. On Tuesday, America experienced nothing less than a...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (BP)--Back in July, when a Field Poll was released showing that California Proposition 8 was trailing 51-42 among likely voters, the Election Day outlook for supporters of traditional marriage wasn't too bright. Two months...

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--More than 1,600 people have indicated online that they prayed to receive Christ for salvation after watching a three-minute video of evangelist Ronnie Hill's testimony, which starts by recounting his birth to a 17-year-old...

NEW ORLEANS (BP)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary served as a polling place in the presidential election Nov. 4 as numerous voting precincts cast their ballots in the Hardin Student Center, allowing students and faculty to interact with...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (BP)--California voters Tuesday overruled the state Supreme Court's ruling legalizing "gay marriage," and in the process handed the nationwide pro-family movement one of its most significant victories ever.

WASHINGTON (BP)--The Nov. 4 election brought mixed results for anti-gambling activists, with three statewide gambling initiatives turned down but three others adopted.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Marijuana was embraced in two states in Nov. 4's balloting.

PARIS (BP)--It's a sight that would shatter most Americans' romanticized image of Paris.

WESTERN EUROPE (BP)--It wasn't a question Dave Webber* expected inside a remote mosque on the edge of the Sahara Desert.

JACKSON, Tenn. (BP)--An unusual obituary ran in a California newspaper in August.

WESTERN EUROPE (BP)--Jonathan Hillman needed a miracle. God sent him a porta-potty truck.

DENVER (BP)--Messengers to the 53rd annual meeting of the Colorado Baptist General Convention welcomed six new congregations into their fellowship and adopted a $4 million budget for 2009.

SAN DIEGO (BP)--Southern Baptist pastor Manuel Jesus Tec is free after 11 days of torture at the hands of unknown kidnappers who abducted him in Tijuana, Mexico, on Oct. 21. Tec currently is recuperating at an undisclosed San Diego hospital and is...

WASHINGTON (BP)--After his church invested $250,000 in wireless technology, Chris Hinkle of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas is concerned by the federal government's Aug. 21 vote to ban wireless microphones in the 700 megahertz band.

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--"If all experts were laid end-to-end, I'd be in favor of it," someone once quipped. I wish I knew who said it; I would buy them lunch or at the very least a Pepsi.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (BP)--Messengers to the 2008 annual meeting of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention launched a three-year emphasis on reaching children and youth and passed resolutions opposing the lottery, supporting the Arkansas Adoption and...

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--Americans love eating out. Apparently entrepreneurs have noticed as the United States has more than 935,000 restaurants. Sales in full-service restaurants exceeds $150 billion annually.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Miss Bessie was well known at Oakland Baptist Church, especially for her loud singing from the pews every Sunday morning.

TIJUANA, MEXICO (BP)--More than a week has passed since San Diego pastor Manuel Jesus Tec was kidnapped Oct. 21 in Tijuana, and his family still has not talked with or heard from him.

WASHINGTON (BP)--The U.S. Food and Drug Administration may permit clinical trials using embryonic stem cells to begin within three months, a biotechnology firm has reported.

RICHMOND, Va. (BP)--Living in a hut in West Africa might cost $12 a month. But the monthly rent for an apartment in Moscow can run about $2,000.

QUETTA, Pakistan (BP)--Southern Baptists are assessing relief needs in the aftermath of a strong pre-dawn earthquake in southwestern Pakistan Oct. 29.

GLORIETA, N.M. (BP)--Bob Cassily firmly holds a heat-resistant brick in one hand and uses a hammer to chip away the quarter-inch excess with the kind of precision Michelangelo might have used to chip away marble as he created the classic statue of...

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--Trustees of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary elected five new faculty members during their fall meeting at the Fort Worth, Texas, campus.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--CBS and other broadcast television networks increasingly are pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable entertainment as the Federal Communications Commission, the government body charged with enforcing indecency laws,...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--"Fireproof" continued its impressive run in its fifth weekend in theaters, passing the $23 million mark and losing only 17.1 percent from the previous weekend, according to studio estimates.

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--Members of Soulforce, a homosexual activist group, were scheduled to meet privately Oct. 27 with representatives of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, as part of the 2008 Soulforce Equality...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--"We're talking about really refraining from using things like, husband-wife, boyfriend-girlfriend, those kind of things, and just say 'partner,'" explains Robin Sinks. She is the health education specialist for the Long Beach...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--A scene in the TV miniseries "Lonesome Dove" showed two cowboys huddled under a tree, wrapped in wet blankets during an early evening rainstorm. Soaked, cold and tired, they had been herding cattle all day. But they knew a...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--As a nation, we cannot overemphasize the importance of faith-informed views being introduced into the discussions in the public square and in the political process.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (BP)--Missouri's casinos are offering $100 million or more in additional funding for the state's schools. All they ask in return is the elimination of all future competitors and unlimited access to Missourians' pocketbooks.

SILUTE, Lithuania (BP)--Neither Milton nor Lara Magalhaes had heard of Lithuania when God began calling them to serve there through the International Mission Board.

TIJUANA, Mexico (BP)--Kidnappers are demanding $1 million for the safe return of Manuel Jesus Tec, a Southern Baptist pastor in San Diego who was kidnapped in Tijuana, Mexico, around 5 a.m. Oct. 21.

SILUTE, Lithuania (BP)--"My father killed himself."

WASHINGTON (BP)--The U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed the right of Arizona pro-life advocates to use their vehicle license plates to support unborn children.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (BP)--After sounding the alarm two weeks ago, opponents of a proposed California constitutional marriage amendment have outraised supporters by a wide margin, and fundraising in the coming days could determine which side gets...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Lawrence Smith has been appointed dean of students and vice president for community relations at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Boyce College, and his wife Garnetta has been named associate dean for women, R....

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)--Indiana Baptists celebrated the 50th anniversary of the state convention Oct. 3-4 at Fall Creek Baptist Church and the Marriott East Hotel in Indianapolis.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--"Fireproof" continued its impressive showing in its fourth weekend of release, finishing once again in the Top 5 on a per-theater average and passing the $20 million mark for total gross, according to studio estimates.

GRAPEVINE, Texas (BP)--Scripture provides guidance for Christians in deciding which candidate to support on Election Day, Texas pastor Ed Young Jr. told his congregation Oct. 19.

WOODSTOCK, Ga. (BP)--Amid the nation's turmoil is "an opportunity for a Great Awakening," two leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention said in an open letter to Southern Baptists Oct. 20.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Heading into its fourth weekend in theaters, the movie "Fireproof" -- as well as its companion book "The Love Dare" -- show no signs of cooling off.

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--School field trips -- do you remember them? I attended grade school in the late '60s and early '70s and can remember going on educational outings. We crowded onto yellow school buses and toted sack lunches. Our teachers...

GALVESTON, Texas (BP)--A Southern Baptist disaster relief feeding unit stationed in Galveston, Texas, has passed the half-million mark for meals prepared for residents and workers in a region heavily damaged by Hurricane Ike.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--This is the sixth in a series of stories focusing on one specific national issue and detailing where the two major presidential candidates stand. Called "In Their Own Words," the stories avoid commentary and instead present...

WASHINGTON (BP)--Supporters of physician-assisted suicide may have found a roundabout way to legalize the procedure in another state.

WASHINGTON (BP)--Martha Shuping knows the trauma of abortion.

WACO, Texas (BP)--Baylor University offered incoming freshmen a $300 campus bookstore credit if they would retake the SAT last June, and those who raised their scores by at least 50 points were rewarded with $1,000 a year in merit scholarship aid,...

DALLAS (BP)--This election cycle there have been twists, turns, and, seemingly, some switching of sides in the gender wars. But one 60s feminist agenda item that should have gone away by now hasn't. The demand for enforced pay equity for women has...

WASHINGTON (BP)--President Bush has signed into law a measure that may help to curtail the number of abortions of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome and other conditions.

SHAWNEE, Okla. (BP)--Oklahoma Baptist University's board of trustees has elected David W. Whitlock, associate provost and dean of the college of business and computer science at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo., as the school's 15th...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Karen grew up in church. In college, she became active in student ministry and, after graduating, joined a comfortable church.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Do you have a story about how Billy Graham's ministry has impacted your life? If so, his friends and family members would like to hear it -- and then deliver your story to the evangelist, who turns 90 on Nov. 7.

HOUMA, La. (BP)--A month after Hurricane Ike made landfall in the early morning hours of Sept. 13 at Galveston, Texas, Southern Baptist churches in coastal Louisiana are sharing the blessings they have received in the storm's aftermath with their...

BOREPANGA, India (BP)--The persecution of a Baptist layman in India's state of Orissa provided the focus of an Oct. 13 article in The New York Times about the oppression of Christians by Hindu militants in the region.

ALEXANDRIA, LA (BP)--Every Sunday morning Crystal was dressed and ready for church before the van arrived at her home. She attended Sunday School with a smile, but without her parents.

SAN FRANCISCO (BP)--The debate in California over whether "gay marriage" legalization would impact what is taught in public schools heated up Oct. 10, when a San Francisco first-grade class took a field trip to city hall to help celebrate a...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)—The pursuit of excellence in Christian journalism was the theme that drew 147 students, faculty and staff to the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Nashville, Tenn., for the eighth annual Baptist Press Collegiate Journalism...

NEW ORLEANS (BP)--An absolutely fool-proof way to stress yourself out is by staying glued to the television newscasts about the economy. "Wall Street dropped another 700 points today!" "Here is our panel of experts to tell you why the news is just...

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (BP)--"I purchased the Love Dare book for my daughter and her husband. They saw it (Fireproof) Friday night and my son-in-law went to church today for the first time in about 5 years." A fellow church member sent that e-mail to...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--"Fireproof" will open in 59 additional cities -- from Olympia, Wash., and Portland, Ore., to Binghamton, N.Y., and Fairmont, W.Va. -- this weekend thanks to its success during the first two weeks.

EVANSTON, Ill. (BP)--Today's top Chicago Tribune headline screams, "All signs pointing to panic," and Matt Drudge crowns his webpage with the photo of a snarling bear. These are, indeed, tough bear-market times.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--This is the fifth in a series of stories focusing on one specific national issue and detailing where the two major presidential candidates stand. Called "In Their Own Words," the stories avoid commentary and instead present...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Hundreds of Christians staged street protests around Iraq's northern city of Mosul Sept. 28, protesting the abolition of a quota system that guaranteed they would be represented in Iraq's parliament. Critics of the new law...

NEW ORLEANS (BP)--Declaring "you have been sent by the Father," North American Mission Board President Geoff Hammond and other NAMB leaders commissioned 108 missionaries and chaplains to the North American mission field during a celebration...

NEW ORLEANS (BP)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary paused Oct. 7 to celebrate and remember the life, ministry and legacy of President Emeritus Landrum P. Leavell II.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP)--It's a unique partnership between two institutions of higher education -- one tasked with theological education and the other offering a master's degree in business administration, with both sharing a common goal of...

NEW ORLEANS (BP)--He'll be knee-deep in weeds at the Interstate 10 underpass at Franklin Avenue in New Orleans or setting sod at a neighborhood home, but one thing is certain: Robert Claverie, 64, won't be in one place for long.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Southern Baptist Theological Seminary student Michael Diaz recently faced the most arduous day of his seminary career.

HOLTS SUMMIT, Mo. (BP)--Ted DiBiase made himself famous with the phrase "Everybody has a price." He was billed in professional wrestling as the "Million Dollar Man," a villain in a black and gold suit with a diamond-encrusted belt. He has been...

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (BP)--Many babies admitted to this neonatal intensive care unit —- those born unexpectedly early, some even before their own baby showers -— receive their first gifts from Dana Gallahair.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (BP)--A proposed constitutional marriage amendment in California has taken a lead in a new statewide poll, days after supporters of the proposal began airing their first statewide television ad.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Voters have a lot on their minds as they ponder which candidate to support in the upcoming presidential election -- a shaky economy, the war on terrorism, the energy crisis, increasing pressure to redefine marriage as...

HOUSTON (BP)--It has been good to get back into the routine of campus life at Houston Baptist University, said Martha Morrow, HBU assistant vice president for communications. Students have completed two weeks of classes since Hurricane Ike and HBU...

BOLIVAR, Mo. (BP)--In 1988, a baby named Swapna was born without arms or legs in India, a country where women with disabilities have little control over their lives. She was not given much hope to live.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The "main reason" for the National Youth Workers Conference "was to answer a need that Southern Baptist youth workers had been making known to us," said Paul Turner, national student ministry leader for LifeWay Christian...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Pastors of at least seven Southern Baptist congregations participated in "Pulpit Freedom Sunday," a Sept. 28 free speech initiative to test the 54-year-old Supreme Court ruling that forbids the endorsement of political...

HAWTHORNE, Calif. (BP)--Forget art imitating life. Try art ushering in new life.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. (BP)--When people are educated about missions, they pray better, give more and go more eagerly, says Kansas pastor Ray Kempel.

THERIOT, La. (BP)--Amid the destruction and widespread sense of helplessness along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana brought on by hurricanes, pastor Jerry Moser said there is tremendous opportunity, and he hopes Southern Baptists will take advantage of...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--To help families reduce their financial debt, LifeWay Christian Resources and the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee hope to see a New Testament become a valuable resource. If so, churches will benefit.

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--Little did I know when I traveled to southeast Texas in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike that I would learn more about pastoral ministry, the resilience of God's people and the power of the Cooperative Program than I have...

GALVESTON, Texas (BP)--For years the big, blue pillars flanking the bridge to Galveston Island have welcomed tourists and beachcombers to the city. Today they welcome Southern Baptist disaster relief volunteers who are helping restore hope in the...

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. (BP)--The largest spiritual response in Taylor County, Ky.'s history has lessons for Southern Baptist congregations across the nation, evangelist Rick Gage says.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (BP)--Yusuf Mohamed* will never forget the moment God broke him.

ALBANY, Ga. (BP)--DECEMBER 2005. My brother, Alex, finished a brisk morning jog that planted his running shoes in my driveway. He was winded but clearly excited when he called me on his cell. "Come outside, Stephen! I've got the storyline for the...

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--"This conversation is the fourth in a series of high-level bridge-building and reconciliation efforts that have helped to build mutual understanding between our peoples, nations and religious traditions" is how a quintet of...

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (BP)--A single light bulb hangs from a roof beam, dimly illuminating the main room in Maria's home in Floresta, a working-class neighborhood in Buenos Aires.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Across the nation thousands of students gathered around flagpoles to pray for such things as their schools, their families and the government Sept. 24, marking the annual observance of See You at the Pole, a...

GILCHRIST, Texas (BP)--Arlis and Wanda Russell made a list of the folks who were present for the last service of their home church, knowing it might be the only membership roll that exists.

WAIPAHU, Hawaii (BP)--The first-grader just had one question when Vacation Bible School was over.

WAIPAHU, Hawaii (BP)--"Oh, a mission trip to Hawaii ... yeah, right."

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--As a hotly contested presidential election approaches, Americans strongly believe churches should tread lightly when it comes to political activity.

KEOKUK, Iowa (BP)--Investigators have not ruled out arson in an early morning fire that destroyed the educational wing and pastor's office of Bethany Baptist Church in Keokuk, Iowa, Sept. 19.

GAINESVILLE, Ga. (BP)--Newly married couples should be able to accomplish more in harmony in every way than they ever could accomplish separately -- and that certainly includes the way finances are handled. So, it's important that both wife and...

SOUTHERN LOUISIANA (BP)--Three hours after pastor Steve Folmar heard that shysters wanted to charge an 86-year-old woman $18,000 to cut up and remove hurricane-battered trees from her yard, a Southern Baptist chain saw crew did the work for free.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee unanimously passed a recommendation Sept. 23 giving pre-approval for any SBC entity to transfer funds to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary to assist in its ongoing...

FRESNO, Calif. (BP)--The executive board of the California Southern Baptist Convention unanimously endorsed the state's proposed constitutional marriage amendment during its meeting Sept. 11-12 and encouraged Southern Baptists in the state to do...

GRAPEVINE, Texas (BP)--More than a week after Hurricane Ike devastated parts of the Texas Gulf Coast and snapped trees 100 miles inland, people in the hundreds of thousands remained without electricity while Southern Baptists worked to feed hungry...

GORI, Georgia (BP)--The refugees' despair troubled Coy Webb the most.

WASHINGTON (BP)--The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom is urging five religious organizations to cancel a Sept. 25 dinner with Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in conjunction with his visit to the United Nations.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Addressing trustees of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Richard Land said the state of the culture reflects the reality that it has influenced the people of God more than the people of God have influenced society.

HOUSTON (BP)--Classes resumed Sept. 22 at Houston Baptist University, eight days after Hurricane Ike caused an estimated $8 million to $10 million damage to the campus.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Students across the nation will gather to pray at the flagpole in front of their schools Wednesday as part of See You at the Pole, the annual student-led, student-initiated prayer event begun in 1990.

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--"Climate change is the most critical sustainability issue of our time," Alcoa President and CEO Klaus Kleinfeld said while announcing a joint venture with The Pew Research Center, "and to make a real difference we all need to...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--In the wake of Gov. Sarah Palin's selection as the Republican vice presidential nominee, there has been considerable "speculation" about why Evangelicals in general, and Southern Baptists in particular, have responded so...

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (BP)--Four months ago, Iglesia Bautista Hispana de West Las Vegas, a Nevada church plant, h