Resources from 2017

NASHVILLE (BP) -- Applying the Gospel of Jesus to parenting received significant attention from the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission during 2017. The ERLC dedicated its annual national conference to Christ-centered parenting and developed curriculum on the same subject during the year. The other issues that marked the entity's work included religious liberty, racial reconciliation and the sanctity of human life.

Michael Kelley notes how the Herod, volatile and murderous, and Joseph in his humility had something in common: They both recognized they must respond to this infant born in a meager stable.

WASHINGTON (BP) -- Defensores provida esperan que una nueva investigación del Departamento de Justicia de EE.UU. a Planned Parenthood marque un cambio radical para el proveedor de abortos más grande de la nación. El jueves (17 de diciembre), el Departamento de Justicia requirió documentos no redactados del Comité Judiciario del Senado indicando que había iniciado una investigación formal a Planned Parenthood. En 2016, tanto el Comité Judiciario como el Panel Investigador Selecto de la Casa de las Vidas de los ...

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- A 26-year-old mother gives all credit to the Lord after she gave birth to a baby girl from a donated embryo frozen more than 24 years, considered a record in cryopreservation births. "People say it's science. No, I say it's purely the Lord," Tina Gibson told the NBC affiliate WBIR in a Dec. 19 video posted on Facebook. "This is a gift from the Lord for sure." The Christian-based National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC) in Knoxville, ...

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) -- Another graduating class from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's Fort Worth and Houston campuses was commissioned to "preach the Word" and "reach the world" during the seminary's fall commencement service, Dec. 15. In his commencement address to the 245 college, master's and doctoral graduates, President Paige Patterson charged each individual entering the ministry to be devout in his walk with God.

NASHVILLE (BP) -- At its annual meeting this fall, the Colorado Baptist General Convention (CBGC) announced plans to sell its Denver-area office building and relocate to a smaller facility nearby. As CBGC executive director Nathan Lorick put it, the convention's "desire in selling our building is to maximize the reach of our dollars through minimizing our space needs" and "to have our staff be more mobile." Those sentiments appear representative of at least eight state conventions that ...

NASHVILLE (BP) -- Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptists approved the most dramatic increase in the portion of Cooperative Program receipts to be sent beyond the state next year, moving from a 78/22 split to retaining 68 percent for in-state use and sending 32 percent for distribution to Southern Baptist missions and ministries. Simultaneously increasing their budget by seven percent, the huge leap to giving 32 percent of anticipated CP gifts of $544,000 to SBC causes follows seven years of keeping a pledge to increase the amount by a half percent annually from ...

NASHVILLE (BP) -- A desire for racial reconciliation is on the minds of Southern Baptists across the U.S. as 10 state convention adopted resolutions decrying racism of any form. Other states have addressed the concern in previous years, though tensions in recent years likely motivated a return to the subject this fall. With the exception of New England Baptists, state conventions where messengers passed resolutions on racism were in the South and Southwest, including Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Baptist General Convention of Texas and the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia.

Phil Boatwright looks beyond traditional Christmastime fare at some cinematic treasures that convey themes for reflection during this season of celebrating Christ's birth.

Point of Grace partners with LifeWay for new albums; Alabama conference center leader Buster Taylor caps 38 years of service; team from Boyce College treks to Houston for hurricane recovery work. Point of Grace partners with LifeWay for new albums NASHVILLE (BP) -- Grammy-nominated singing trio Point of Grace has partnered with LifeWay Worship to release a new album and will soon begin work on a second. "Sing Noël," Point of Grace's first album with LifeWay, features 10 new arrangements of beloved carols and Christmas favorites, including "Angels from the Realms of ...