Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835
January 19, 2017
By Tom Strode Baptist Press WASHINGTON (BP) — The abortion rate in the United States declined to an all-time low, while the number of lethal procedures dropped below a million for the first time since 1975, according to a new report. The Guttmacher Institute reported Tuesday (Jan. 17) the rate fell to 14.6 abortions per […]
January 12, 2017
Baptist Press NASHVILLE — Ohio Baptists approved the largest increase in the portion of Cooperative Program receipts sent beyond the state next year, moving from the current 59.75/40.25 ratio to a 50/50 split. “Supporting missions from Ohio to the ends of the earth is the heartbeat of Ohio Southern Baptists,” said Ohio Executive Director Jack […]
January 11, 2017
Baptist Press TYLER, Texas — Paul Powell, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Annuity Board, died Dec. 28 following a stroke earlier in the month. He was 83. In addition to leading the Annuity Board (later renamed GuideStone Financial Resources) from 1990-97, Powell pastored Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas, 17 years. He […]
January 10, 2017
Baptist Press NASHVILLE — America has its problems and needs to talk. But according to a new study, few Americans agree on who can best lead a conversation about the nation’s woes. Less than a quarter (23 percent) would turn to the office of the U.S. president. About one in 10 would turn to the […]
January 3, 2017
By Shawn Hendricks Baptist Press NASHVILLE (BP) — It was a year of unexpected election outcomes, race-related violence, ongoing global terrorism and natural disasters. It also was another year of controversial comments and consequences. In 2016, the most-read Baptist Press story was one about a popular author and speaker who sparked a firestorm for statements […]
December 22, 2016
By Bob Smietana Lifeway News Office NASHVILLE — More than half of Americans plan to go to church at Christmastime. And most Protestant pastors will keep the doors open for them. Nearly nine out of 10 Protestant senior pastors say their churches plan to hold services on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, as both […]
December 8, 2016
Baptist Press HAVANA — As the world reflects on the legacy of late Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, a former Southern Baptist missionary imprisoned by the Castro regime in the 1960s is remembering what Castro could not do: kill the church. Castro died Nov. 25 at the age of 90. David Fite, 82, was arrested in […]
December 8, 2016
By Bob Smietana Facts & Trends, LifeWay NASHVILLE (BP) — The American Medical Association has described physician-assisted suicide as a serious risk to society and “fundamentally incompatible with a physician’s role as healer.” But Millions of Americans disagree, according to a new study released Tuesday (Dec. 6) by LifeWay Research. Two-thirds say it is morally […]
December 7, 2016
Baptist Press SIMPSONVILLE, Ky. — A Kentucky sheriff’s deputy fatally shot a robbery suspect early Dec. 2 at Simpsonville Baptist Church here. The Kentucky State Police said the white male suspect was inside the church and was shot by a Shelby County deputy after ignoring repeated requests to drop a weapon. Police have not identified […]
November 28, 2016
By Tom Strode Baptist Press WASHINGTON (BP) — A federal judge has blocked a looming Department of Labor overtime rule considered burdensome by Southern Baptist and other nonprofit entities. Amos Mazzant, a judge in the Eastern District of Texas, issued a nationwide temporary injunction Tuesday (Nov. 22) to prevent enforcement of a DOL regulation that […]
November 10, 2016
By David Roach Baptist Press NASHVILLE (BP) — Eight of the nine states with marijuana-related ballot measures Nov. 8 expanded legalization of the drug. Of the five states to consider recreational marijuana legalization for adults, only Arizona rejected it. California, Massachusetts, Maine and Nevada all voted in favor of legalization. All four states to consider […]
November 9, 2016
By Diana Chandler Baptist Press CENTENNIAL, Colo. — A re-structured executive board, a western state office, and a renewed emphasis on prayer are among the improvements Mark Edlund has spearheaded during his 15 years as executive director and treasurer of the Colorado Baptist General Convention (CBGC). Edlund announced he will retire in July 2017 from […]