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Southern Baptists refuse to allow Louisville church with female pastor back into fold

The issue of women in ministry has long been debated among Southern Baptists, dating back to the late 20th century controversies that led to a sharp rightward shift in its leadership. That movement culminated in a revised statement of belief in 2000, which included a declaration that while “both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.”

Ky. facility nearly done destroying nation’s last stockpile of chemical weapon sarin deadly chemical weapons has been decades in the making.

“As recently as a few years ago, we weren’t sure we could achieve our treaty commitment, so the fact that we are now on the doorstep is no small feat,” Reif said. He said all other nations who joined the treaty have finished destroying their stockpiles.

Destruction of the Kentucky stockpile began in 2019 after decades of planning and debate over how to dispose of the deadly war weapons.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – The Southern Baptist Convention has refused to welcome two churches – Fern Creek Baptist of Louisville, Kentucky, and California megachurch Saddleback – back into its fold, rejecting their appeals over being expelled for having women pastors.

The results of the June 12 votes were announced June 13 on the concluding day of the two-day annual meeting in New Orleans of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, whose statement of faith asserts that only qualified men can serve as pastors.

Church representatives voted 9,700-806 to deny an appeal by Fern Creek, which has had a woman pastor for three decades.

“I knew they would uphold the expulsion. However, I guess I am a bit naive. I did not think it would be that drastic a result. I thought there were more people left in the Southern Baptist Convention who support the autonomy of the local church, if not women in ministry,” said the Rev. Linda Barnes Popham, Fern Creek’s pastor.

With a 9,437-to-1,212 vote, delegates –known as messengers – also rejected an appeal by Rick Warren, the retired founding pastor of Saddleback and author of the best-selling phenomenon, “The Purpose Driven Life.”

All Baptist churches are independent, so the convention can’t tell them what to do, but it can decide which churches are “not in friendly cooperation,” the official verbiage for an expulsion.

RICHMOND, Ky. (AP) – A Kentucky facility built to dispose of deadly Cold War-era chemical weapons is nearing the end of its mission to destroy its 520-ton stockpile, a milestone that will likely mark the end of chemical weapons destruction projects in the U.S., officials said.

The facility at the Blue Grass Army Depot is weeks away from eliminating the last of a stockpile of 51,000 M55 rockets with GB nerve agent that have been stored at the depot since the 1940s. The GB nerve agent, also known as sarin, a colorless and tasteless toxin, can cause respiratory failure leading to death. It is outlawed under international rules of warfare.

Another stockpile is being eliminated at an Army facility in Colorado, but that effort is expected to conclude before the Kentucky one. The two sites have the country’s last remaining chemical weapons that must be disposed of according to a 1997 worldwide treaty.

Military and civilian officials gathered at Eastern Kentucky University to speak about the end of the project.

Kingston Reif, an assistant U.S. Secretary of Defense for Threat Reduction and Arms Control, said the destruction of the nation’s

Mining employee gets six months for falsifying dust samples, lying to feds

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (AP) – A coal dust examiner that worked for a Kentucky mining company has been sentenced to six months in prison for falsifying dust samples and lying to federal officials.

Walter Perkins’ employer, Black Diamond Coal Co., was placed on probation for two years for submitting false samples to officials of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration, prosecutors said on June 8.

Coal dust sampling equipment is required to be worn by a miner while working underground, but Black Diamond took measurements from a monitor placed above ground, in a first aid trailer, according to a news release from the office of Carlton Shier, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

Inspectors found the dust monitor after visiting Black Diamond’s No. 1 mine on Oct. 8, 2020. Inspectors also said the company had submitted dust sampling levels that were abnormally low, according to officials.

Coal dust causes pneumoconiosis, or black lung disease, when inhaled by workers. Mines are required to reduce dust levels at mining sites.

Perkins, 45, was trained to monitor dust levels. Perkins told investigators the monitor was faulty, which turned out to be false. He will serve a six-month sentence and then six more months of home detention.

Black Diamond was ordered to pay a fine of $200,000 and restitution of $400 to any former miner who is no longer employed in the mining industry so that they can seek a medical screening for black lung disease.

Boone County Schools celebrates graduates

Alexandria honors robotics awards competitors

At its June meeting, Alexandria City Council honored students and coaches from the St. Mary School in Alexandria and Campbell County High School for their participation in the 2023 VEX Robotics World Championship. The students defeated teams in state and regional competitions, moving on to represent Kentucky in the World Championships held in Dallas in April. Some 800 high schools and 450 grade schools competed in the event.

County Wide has opened for Chris Stapleton, Shooter Jennings, Randy Houser and other top performers. Food will be available from the Cheese N Chong food truck.

tures a beloved children’s classic penned in 1952. The project enlisted various artists to paint benches inspired by wellloved books. Local artist Claire Long selected “Charlotte’s Web,” by E.B. White, for her bench. The book remains a favorite of young readers. See the bench installed at John G. Carlisle Elementary School, 910 Holman St. in Covington. For more information, visit kentonlibrary.org/bookbenches.

Tower Tuesday event features Touch-a-Truck

Boone County Schools congratulated graduates from Ryle High School, RISE Academy, ACCEL Academy and Boone County High School at ceremonies in early June. At the Ryle ceremony, Principal Matt Shafer noted that the class of 2023 entered high school as the pandemic was unfolding. “Just as you were beginning to figure things out, the world was shut down. ... Through it all, you are sitting here today accomplishing the goal you set for yourself when you entered high school.”

Country rockers County Wide to play Edgewood concert

Week three of the city of Edgewood’s Summer Concert Series features Southern country rockers County Wide on Tuesday, June 27, in Presidents Park, 238 Dudley Pike in Edgewood. Together since 2014, the band comes from Corbin, Kentucky, and has played at the popular Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota as well as at numerous Harley-Davidson and NASCAR events.

'Charlotte’s Web' honored on Covington book bench

A new installment of the Kenton County Public Library book bench art project fea-

Children are invited to get a close look at city vehicles in a special Tower Tuesday Touch-a-Truck event celebrating the community’s heroes. The event will be held in Fort Thomas’ Tower Park Amphitheater on Cochran Avenue from 10 to 11 a.m. on June 27. A Cincinnati Circus balloon artist will be on hand to entertain and create magical balloon figures. Children are also invited to climb aboard the Campbell County Public Library’s book bus to pick out a free book to take home.