Americans to Religious Organizations: Stay Out of Politics
(RNS) — As Americans gear up for a long and bitterly contentious presidential election year, their message to religious leaders and institutions couldn't be clearer: Keep out.
Half of Pastors See Opioid Abuse in Their Own Congregations
Nashville-based LifeWay Research asked 1,000 Protestant pastors about their personal connections to the opioid epidemic and how their churches are looking to address the issue. Half (52 percent) knew someone directly in their church is dealing with an opioid addiction.
Chick-Fil-A Announces New Approach to Charitable Giving
NASHVILLE (BP) -- On Monday (Nov. 18), the popular U.S. fast food chain, Chick-fil-A, Inc., announced a new policy concerning its charitable giving to take effect in 2020. It will will focus the company's charitable donations on the areas of hunger, homelessness and education.
La. Truckstop Ministry Reaches ‘Highways and Hedges’
ANACOCO, La. (Baptist Message) -- Once, Bill Blackmon drove his big rig cross-country in pursuit of big hauls and big bucks. But since 1993, after repenting for salvation at Good Hope Baptist Church in Anacoco, he has been driven by the desire to share Jesus
‘Learning Poverty’ Negatively Impacts Children Worldwide
A majority of the children living in low- and middle-income nations are experiencing “learning poverty,” according to a World Bank report published Oct. 17.
Paige Patterson Feared Backslide After Election of First Black SBC President
(RNS) — A newly discovered letter from one former prominent leader of the Southern Baptist Convention to another reveals a depth of mistrust and suspicion toward the denomination's first black president.
Millions in US Die Due to Inability to Pay for Medical Care
Around 34 million adults in the United States know someone who has died in the past five years as a result of not having funds to pay for treatment, according to a Gallup report published Nov. 12.
Chicago Suburb Seeks to Block Church’s Winter Homeless Shelter
(RNS) — Last month, Hope Covenant Church opened the first homeless shelter in Chicago’s affluent suburban Village of Orland Park. It is open every Tuesday until April — unless a lawsuit by The Village of Orland Park succeeds in closing it down.
ISIS Kills 9, Injures 71 in Syrian Christian Attacks
SYRIA, (BP) -- The Islamic State (ISIS) is claiming responsibility for two attacks on Christians in northeast Syria that killed nine and wounded 71, as Christians continue to flee villages just outside a proposed safe zone at the Syria-Turkey border.
Heath Thomas to Become OBU’s 16th President
SHAWNEE, Okla. (BP) -- The Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) board of trustees voted Friday (Nov. 8) to elect Heath Thomas as the university's 16th president during its fall meeting on the OBU campus in Shawnee.