Baptists on the Doctrine of Hell

Southern Baptists adopted a resolution titled Reality of Hell during the denomination's annual gathering in Phoenix. The move was direct rejection of Rob Bell's book Love Wins, which suggests hell is not forever. The messengers voted to “hereby affirm our belief in the biblical teaching on eternal conscious punishment of the unregenerate in Hell.” Some Southern Baptist leaders have accused Bell of being a universalist, a charge he denies.

Historic Baptist Election

Southern Baptists picked a black pastor to take the second top spot in the denomination today at their annual conference in Phoenix. Fred Luter will serve as first vice president, the first time a black man has held the post. He pastors a church in New Orleans, where next year's convention will be held.

College Closing

Bethany University is closing tomorrow. The 100-year-old Assemblies of God college in Santa Cruz has struggled financially and falling enrollment.

Baptist First

Southern Baptists may elect its first African-American to the second highest position in the denomination, vice president. Fred Luter pastors the Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans. Luter was the first African-American elected to the executive board of the Louisiana Baptist Convention in 1992 and he was the first African-American to preach the convention sermon at the Southern Baptist annual gathering in 2001. Delegates are meeting in Phoenix to elect new leaders.

Camping Has Stroke

The man who claimed the rapture would take place on May 21st is in the hospital after suffering a stroke at his home in Alameda, California. Harold Camping, 89, leads the Family Radio ministry, which spent millions of dollars on billboards and other advertisements around the country to warn people about the coming judgment. After the event did not happen, Camping claimed it came spiritually and not physically and that the rapture would now take place on October 21.