Cartoon_71204

Posted: 7/09/04 "Uh oh! A chain epistle!" News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC…

07/09/2004 - By John Rutledge

Church-state watchdogs won court battle, lost PR war, attorney notes_71204

Posted: 7/09/04

Church-state watchdogs won court
battle, lost PR war, attorney notes

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (ABP)–In facing down Alabama's “Ten Commandments judge” and winning, Richard Cohen admitted he and other supporters of church-state separation won a legal battle but may have lost the public-relations war.

“The real battle here wasn't in the court of law, where we were comfortable,” said Cohen, president of the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Ala. “It was in the court of public opinion.”

Cohen addressed supporters of the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs at a luncheon during the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship general assembly in Birmingham, Ala.

07/09/2004 - By John Rutledge

Two Texans named to Fellowship task force on partnership with Baptist World Alliance_71204

Posted: 7/09/04

Two Texans named to Fellowship task force
on partnership with Baptist World Alliance

By Lance Wallace

CBF Communications

ATLANTA–The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's new moderator has appointed a task force on the Baptist World Alliance to explore ways the Fellowship can be a good partner with the goal fellowship.

07/09/2004 - By John Rutledge

Being near the right Son opens doors, theologian preaches_71204

Posted: 7/09/04

Being near the right Son opens doors, theologian preaches

By Robert Marus

Associated Baptist Press

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (ABP)– Being near the right Son can open doors for you, Virginia theologian John Kinney told participants at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's general assembly.

07/09/2004 - By John Rutledge

San Antonio missions minister, pastor from College Station named CBF-Texas officers_71204

Posted: 7/09/04

San Antonio missions minister, pastor
from College Station named CBF-Texas officers

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.–A San Antonio missions minister and a College Station pastor assumed the elected leadership of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship-Texas during the group's annual meeting, held in conjunction with the national CBF general assembly in Birmingham.

Debbie Ferrier, minister of missions at Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio, became moderator of the Texas group after serving a year as moderator-elect.

Rodney McGlothlin, pastor of First Baptist Church in College Station, was chosen moderator-elect and will succeed Ferrier in 2005.

07/09/2004 - By John Rutledge

Community rehab volunteers seek to show ‘what the church ought to be’_71204

Posted: 7/09/04

Volunteers from churches in Springtown, Keller and DeLeon join members of First Baptist Church in Comanche in painting and renovating homes for unchurched, low-income residents in their communities. It's part of Community Rehab, a ministry launched by the Comanche church.

Community rehab volunteers seek to
show 'what the church ought to be'

By Janelle Bagci

Staff Writer

COMANCHE–Five years ago, members of First Baptist Church in Comanche launched a community project repairing homes in their town. This year, the project spread to surrounding counties, and the volunteers–mostly teenagers–reconstructed 17 homes.

07/09/2004 - By John Rutledge

Compensation survey shows BGCT churches rank #2 in pay for pastors_71204

Posted: 7/09/04

Compensation survey shows BGCT
churches rank #2 in pay for pastors

By Trennis Henderson

Kentucky Western Recorder

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (ABP)–The average salary and housing for full-time Baptist pastors is $46,505, according to a national compensation study. That is a jump of 6.7 percent from a similar study conducted two years ago.

07/09/2004 - By John Rutledge

Court rules Child Online Protection Act appears unconstitutional_71204

Posted: 7/09/04

Court rules Child Online
Protection Act appears unconstitutional

By Robert Marus

ABP Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (ABP)–A federal law attempting to make it harder for children and teenagers to access Internet pornography cannot be enforced because it likely violates the First Amendment, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled.

07/09/2004 - By John Rutledge

Colorado Supreme Court strikes down state’s school-voucher pilot program_71204

Posted: 7/09/04

Colorado Supreme Court strikes down
state's school-voucher pilot program

DENVER (ABP)–Colorado's highest court has ruled unconstitutional a state law that would have set up a school-voucher program, including religious and other private schools.

On a 4-3 vote, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled the state's Colorado Opportunity Contract Pilot Program violated a state constitutional provision regarding local school boards' control over educational instruction in their districts.

The program was passed by the state legislature and signed into law by Gov. Bill Owens (R) last year.

07/09/2004 - By John Rutledge

Cybercolumn by Berry D. Simpson: Skating the issue_71204

Posted: 7/09/04

CYBERCOLUMN:
Skating the issue

By Berry D. Simpson

The vote was 14 in favor of installing signs around the church property that said, “No Skateboarding,” and 17 against. I was one of the 17 who voted against the recommendation, and I have been wondering since if I did the right thing.

Earlier that same night, we voted unanimously to create a new worship service on Sunday evenings, a seeker service aimed at people unlikely to join one of our regular worship services. I couldn’t square a vote in favor of reaching unchurched people with a vote to tell young skateboarders, “Go away.” Not in the same night. Maybe I’ll change my vote next time it comes up, but I don’t know.

07/09/2004 - By John Rutledge

DBU soccer teams kick off missions venture in Mexico_71204

Posted: 7/09/04 DBU soccer teams kick off missions venture in Mexico DBU students (from left) M'Leigha Jones, Andrea Spillers and Chris Palmore paint a small church in Reynosa, Mexico. The…

07/09/2004 - By John Rutledge

DOWNHOME: Maybe purgatory is infinite spam_71204

Posted: 7/09/04

DOWN HOME:
Maybe purgatory is infinite spam

Whoever said, “No good deed goes unpunished” must have known the person who discovered the Law of Unintended Consequences. And they both must've been thinking about my e-mail.

Last year, my friend Mark and I decided to rid ourselves of all unwanted e-mail, known the world over as spam.

We already had anti-virus and spam-protection programs on our computers, but we still were getting spammed. All day, every day.

07/09/2004 - By John Rutledge