News Articles by Herb Hollinger

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–Promises of prayer support and heartfelt sympathy were expressed by three Southern Baptist Convention officials concerning the shooting of seven people in a Fort Worth, Texas, Baptist church Sept. 15. “My heart is greatly saddened at the tragic news from one of our great churches in Fort Worth that also affects our sister […]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP)–A majority of trustees of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary voted to fire President Mark T. Coppenger Sept. 14, concluding that Coppenger’s expressions of anger have “irreparably damaged his ability to lead this seminary.” His dismissal was effective immediately. The stunning announcement by trustee chairman Carl Weiser followed about 13 hours of closed-door […]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP)–Trustees of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, meeting in a special called meeting Sept. 14, voted to dismiss President Mark Coppenger, effective immediately. Trustees met Sept. 13 and 14 with the sole purpose of discussing the leadership of President Coppenger. They were in executive session for nearly nine hours Sept. 13, and for […]

PHOENIX (BP)–In the latest move by directors of the troubled Baptist Foundation of Arizona, 72 employees were laid off Sept. 10, helping the agency reduce its “overhead by more than 50 percent in a very short period of time.” In a Sept. 13 letter to 13,000 investors, W. Berry Norwood, trustee chairman, said “One sad, […]

BILLINGS, Mont. (BP)–A longtime Mission Service Corps volunteer in Montana fell to her death while visiting Yellowstone National Park Sept. 4. Jean Vaughn, 74, was visiting the park over the Labor Day weekend when she apparently slipped and fell at the Grand View vista overlook of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. According to Jim […]

PHOENIX (BP)–The troubled Baptist Foundation of Arizona, already under investigation for fraud by the state, was hit recently by a class action lawsuit and another by a Southern Baptist pastor, BFA officials confirmed. The Arizona Southern Baptist Convention agency was sued in Maricopa County Superior Court in a class action lawsuit filed Aug. 27, and […]

DALLAS (BP)–The pastor who was nominated to be the next executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas said he “could get no peace from God about serving in this high position” in his letter withdrawing his name as the nominee. Phil Lineberger, 53, a former president of the BGCT and pastor of Williams […]

DALLAS (BP)–The Texas pastor nominated as the next executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas has declined the nomination, sources at the BGCT told Baptist Press Sept. 8. Phil Lineberger, a former president of the BGCT and pastor of Williams Trace Baptist Church, Sugar Land, was announced as the nominee of a search […]

PHOENIX (BP)–The three top executives of the troubled Baptist Foundation of Arizona were fired Aug. 26 by the board of directors, investors were told in a letter from the BFA board. William P. Crotts, president, Tom Grabinski, legal counsel, and Donald Deardoff, controller, had “voluntarily” relinquished their responsibilities in late July and were put on […]

PHOENIX (BP)–More than 13,000 investors with more than $483 million in investment products in the troubled Baptist Foundation of Arizona may hear of plans to “deal fairly” with them by October, the BFA’s new management committee said in an Aug. 21 letter. The letter, signed by BFA board of directors chairman W. Berry Norwood and […]