Mike Stone, Rolland Slade reelected as EC officers
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) -- The chairman and vice chairman of the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee were unanimously reelected during the EC's June 10 meeting in Birmingham, Ala. Resolutions of appreciation were approved for two SBC entity presidents, Chuck Kelley of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, who retires July 31, and Thom Rainer of LifeWay Christian Resources, who retired on Feb. 28 and for D. August "Augie" Boto, who served 13 months as the EC's interim president.
ERLC to open Mideast office, honors embattled florist
COLUMBUS (BP) -- An international religious freedom office in the Mideast will be opened by the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Russell Moore announced at the SBC annual meeting June 17. Moore, the ERLC's president, told messengers, "We must contend for religious freedom for our brothers and sisters in Christ and for everyone else wherever they are on the globe." He added, "We will not stand idly by while those with whom we will share eternity are being led to the slaughter."
Egypt Copt killings: World attention sought
NEW YORK CITY (BP)--The shooting deaths of six Coptic Christians in Egypt on Coptic Christmas Eve (Jan. 6) is fueling efforts to publicize and protest what Copts describe as persecution and violence typically met by inaction by the Egyptian government.