Trump calls churches ‘essential’ as Baptist leaders urge equal treatment in reopening
WASHINGTON (BP)—Southern Baptist leaders are urging government officials to treat churches and other religious groups more justly in their reopening policies regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The calls for change came after churches in Minnesota and California told their governors they would begin holding in-person services in defiance of policies they consider to be unequal in treatment. Guidelines issued by Govs. Tim...
Ravi Zacharias, renowned apologist, dies at 74
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)—Ravi Zacharias, the renowned Christian apologist, evangelist and author, died Tuesday, May 19, after a brief battle with cancer. He was 74. His death, which came days after his family announced treatment for a rare and aggressive form of cancer had been suspended, was announced by Sarah Davis, his daughter and CEO of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, in a message posted at the ministry’s website....
SBC Executive Committee to host SBC Advance June 2
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)—While the 2020 Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Annual Meeting has been canceled for the first time since 1945, Southern Baptists will still be provided with an opportunity to hear from the entities of the Southern Baptist Convention through an online event June 2 hosted by the SBC Executive Committee. SBC Advance, a two-hour online event, is not designed to be a substitute for the annual meeting, but will...
Falls Creek cancels summer 2020 camp season
Amid COVID-19 factors, Falls Creek and CrossTimbers cancel summer sessions DAVIS—Leaders with Oklahoma Baptists announced today that Falls Creek Youth Camp and CrossTimbers Children’s Mission Adventure Camp will not hold any camp sessions during the summer of 2020, due to factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In April, Oklahoma Baptists had announced tentative plans for a delayed start and revised schedule, with the provision to...
OBU hosts May 21 webinar on pastor renewal
SHAWNEE—Oklahoma Baptist University and Oklahoma Pastor Renewal is hosting a free Zoom Webinar, 11 a.m.-noon on May 21. Ministry leaders Todd Littleton, Joe Ligon, Bryan Laramore and Matt Henslee will discuss strategies for reconnecting with older and offline church members. The strategies include how to get members who are offline to stay connected during social distancing. Participants will learn strategies on how to minister in...
Greenway charges SWBTS graduates in video address
FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)—With COVID-19 preventing Southwestern Seminary and Scarborough College from having an in-person commencement ceremony, the school’s administration and faculty still congratulated and celebrated 336 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral students graduating in the spring 2020 semester, including the largest-ever graduating class from Scarborough College. President Adam W. Greenway delivered a charge...
