The West Virginia Baptist Convention is saddened by the passing of Senator Robert C. Byrd. Senator Byrd’s leadership provided the direction of federal funding to develop programs and people in the Mountain State.
The 162 churches participating in The Penny Project, sponsored by American Baptist Home Mission Societies, have collected more than three million pennies to raise awareness of child poverty and to support programs that serve these children and their families.
On June 15, the White House announced that President Obama tapped Suzan Johnson Cook, an American Baptist pastor and motivational speaker, for the post of ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. The position of the nation’s top diplomat for religious freedom had remained vacant since Obama’s inauguration in January 2009.
General Secretary Roy Medley released a statement on Friday, June 4, regarding the conflict in the Middle East. "The deadly confrontation this week between the Israeli military and a flotilla seeking to break the Gaza embargo highlights again the need for prayer for a just and peaceful resolution to the situation between Israel and Palestine," said Medley.