Baptist Briefs: Ergun Caner steps down from college post

Ergun Caner, the controversial president of Georgia Baptist Convention-affiliated Brewton-Parker College, resigned Jan. 20, saying his son’s suicide six months ago has left him emotionally unequipped to provide the kind of leadership the institution needs. Caner opened the fall meeting of the school’s board of trustees by telling a packed room he was stepping down as president. Caner explained that when his older son, 15-year-old Braxton Caner, committed suicide July 29, “a part of me died” with him. “Brewton-Parker College cannot become a healthy, growing and stable college under the leadership of a man who is broken,” Caner said. “And I am admitting to you that I am broken. I can’t get over his death, and I am not sure I want to. I do know that I cannot muster the fight needed to be the leader of our college. My family and my heart need healing, and you deserve better.” The board responded by unanimously passing a resolution expressing appreciation for Caner and pledging to pray for him and his family.

LifeWay Christian Resources has agreed to stop selling the book The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven. The book purports to tell the story of the aftermath of an auto accident in 2004 that left Alex Malarkey paralyzed and his father, Kevin, injured. Alex Malarkey now says he did not die and did not visit heaven. “I said I went to heaven because I thought it would get me attention,” he wrote. “When I made the claims that I did, I had never read the Bible. People have profited from lies and continue to. They should read the Bible, which is enough. The Bible is the only source of truth. Anything written by man cannot be infallible.” The book’s publisher, Tyndale House, also announced it was taking the book out of print.

National WMU adds three employees. Jennifer Dodd has been named senior marketing strategist for national Woman’s Missionary Union. In addition, Amy Boone and Lena Plunk join the staff as ministry consultants on WMU’s adult resource team.