VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 3/21/14)—Rev. Dr. Richard E. Ice, 83, president emeritus of American Baptist Homes of the West (ABHOW) and a champion of religious liberty, died March 15 among family members at his home in Alameda, California. He was president and CEO of ABHOW for 23 years before retiring in 1995. He served American […]
VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 3/17/14)—Carrie and Kurt Smalley have been appointed as associate missionaries by American Baptist International Ministries (IM). They are serving as church planters through Pioneers, an organization that glorifies God among unreached peoples by initiating church-planting movements in partnership with local churches. The Smalley’s home church is First Baptist Church in Everett, […]
VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 3/17/14)—Churches are grappling with unprecedented change, including one third of adults under the age of 30 who are increasingly not affiliating themselves with any religion. So, what is the future of the churches? In For Such a Time as This: Young Adults on the Future of the Church, Kathryn Mary Lohre […]
VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 3/14/14)—Members of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), including American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS), have withdrawn their proposal for a comprehensive report on JPMorgan Chase’s business standards in exchange for a commitment by the bank to provide in fall 2014 a detailed report of its risk mitigation efforts. The […]
VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 3/12/14)—The National Council of Churches first “Christian Unity Gathering” of leaders from member communions and other partners will be held May 18-20, 2014, in the Hilton Washington, Dulles, Herndon, Va. “We are getting together to celebrate ecumenism and energize our journey toward the visible unity of all the Christian churches,” said […]
VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 3/12/14)—American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) participated in an Interfaith Disability Advocacy Coalition (IDAC) meeting at the White House on Monday. Representatives of 16 IDAC member organizations as well as staff from the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)—including AAPD President Mark Perriello and IDAC Convener Ginny Thornburgh—met with Melissa […]
VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 3/6/14)—A late January trip to Las Cucharas Prison, Ponce, Puerto Rico, was led by Rev. Fela Barrueto, American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) national coordinator, Prisoner Re-entry and Aftercare Ministry, which is funded through ABHMS’ America for Christ Offering. ABHMS has taken the bold step of encouraging its 5,300 congregations to […]
VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 3/4/14)—American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) Board of Directors met Feb. 26–28 in Albuquerque, N.M., at a retreat developed to reflect on moving the organization forward as “A Community Called Church.” The retreat examined what it means to be a spiritual leader and how spiritual leadership can help ABHMS answer the […]
VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 3/3/14)—“Break Every Yoke: Homelessness,” a virtual mission encounter from May 5-9, 2014, sponsored by American Baptist Women’s Ministries, will inspire and equip women to use their voice on behalf of the homeless and inadequately housed. This virtual mission encounter offers the opportunity for women to explore homelessness from a faith perspective, […]
VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 3/3/14)—American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS) recommends a variety of free resources offered by Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America (BPFNA) to help individuals and churches address issues of concern in today’s world. Most recently released is “What Your Church Can Do About Human Trafficking,” a publication that includes history and […]
