VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 10/16/14)—On Saturday, October 4, 2014, during the Business Session after 108 years of American Baptist Churches of Los Angeles and the 119 years of the churches from the former ABC of the Pacific Southwest, now known as the American Baptist Congregations of the Southwest and Hawaii, delegates voted to become a […]

VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 10/8/14)—Nominations are being accepted now for the 2015 Shine the Light Award. The Shine the Light Award, established in 2010 by American Baptist Women’s Ministries, ABCUSA, serves to recognize a woman or a women’s ministry group that serves as outstanding light-bearers for Christ. The award highlights a specific ministry project or […]

VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 10/8/14)—American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) encourages congregations to observe October as “National Disability Employment Awareness Month” with new worship and advocacy resources. Two-thirds of Americans with disabilities are unemployed or underemployed—a number that has not changed since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed by President George H.W. Bush […]

VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 10/7/14)—Rev. Dr. Anthony (Tony) G. Pappas announced his retirement as the Executive Minister of The American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts (TABCOM) on October 2, 2014. “Tony’s passion for congregations and insight into how to help smaller congregations become more effective benefited us all. We will miss Tony in this role, but […]

VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 10/6/14)—Shirley Jones, who served as interim executive director of the Board of Educational Ministries (BEM), died Sept. 29 at her home in Oakland, California. She had been battling pancreatic cancer. Her 17 years with BEM began in 1972 as director of financial aid. For 14 years, she was BEM’s director of […]

VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 10/3/14)—The national board of American Baptist Women’s Ministries has responded to the sharp rise in 2014 of arrivals of unaccompanied children from Central America and Mexico by establishing a mission focus for 2014-2015 on the issue, entitled “Crisis at the Border: What Could We Do?” This mission initiative will raise awareness […]

VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 10/1/14)—Judson Press best-selling author Marvin A. McMickle issues a challenge to African American churches, and specifically clergy, to reengage in the political process as active agents so that the issues facing African American communities are addressed. In his latest project, Pulpit & Politics: Separation of Church & State in the Black […]

VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 9/30/14)—Only one month remains to submit nominations and applications for the position of General Secretary of American Baptist Churches. The application deadline is October 31, 2014. American Baptist leaders and friends are invited to encourage and nominate persons whom you believe would make good candidates for the position. Please forward this […]

VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 9/30/14)—On Sunday, October 5, churches around the globe will celebrate their unity in the Christian faith on World Communion Sunday. On that day, millions of brothers and sisters in cities and on hillsides, in farms and refugee camps and in orphanages, clinics, seminaries and schools in every country will symbolically come […]

VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 9/29/14)—The All Africa Baptist Fellowship (AABF), a region of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), has declared Sunday, October 12, 2014 as Ebola Sunday. American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) joins the BWA and North American Baptist Fellowship in supporting a day of prayer for the Ebola Crisis on either Saturday, October 11, […]