By Jeff Brumley The Catholic Archdiocese of Boston went to court this week to force a group of parishioners out of the church it is trying to close, along with many others. National Public Radio reported that 100 members of…
Nepalese Baptists participate in global relief effort for quake victims
By Jeff Brumley Nepalese Baptists, along with many international relief organizations, are actively engaged in responding to the April 25 Nepal earthquake. The Nepal Baptist Church Council is providing immediate food, shelter and medical needs, including offering trauma healing and…
Baptist minister mourns executions of ‘Bali 9’ members
By Jeff Brumley Tina Bailey took to Facebook May 3 to appeal for prayer. For a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel like Bailey, that’s not all that unusual. But this post was particularly painful. “On this Sunday morning wherever you…
Missional ethic propels Baptist pastor from inner-city pulpit to seaside resort
By Jeff Brumley Tony Lankford is about to make what may seem, on the surface at least, a drastic change in preaching jobs. For the past decade, Lankford has been lead pastor at Park Avenue Baptist Church in Atlanta. It’s…
Missional ethic propels Baptist pastor from inner city pulpit to seaside resort
By Jeff Brumley Tony Lankford is about to make what may seem, on the surface at least, like a drastic change in preaching jobs. For the past decade, Lankford has been lead pastor at Park Avenue Baptist Church in Atlanta….
Being ‘in friendship,’ not ‘on mission,’ boosts Baptist church in Jackson, Miss.
By Jeff Brumley Northminster Baptist Church in Jackson, Miss., embraced the “missional” concept before missional was cool — or even a word. Its leaders say the lay-led congregation was founded in the late 1960s with a culture inclined to look outside…
Some Baptists killed in Nepal quake, while others search for survivors
By Jeff Brumley Among the more than 6,000 killed in the April 25 Nepal earthquake are an unknown number of Baptists who died when their church collapsed on top of them, the Baptist World Alliance has reported. “At least seven…
Baptists join growing army of relief headed to Nepal
By Jeff Brumley Governments, the United Nations and an army of international aid agencies are pouring relief supplies and workers into Nepal. And faith-based groups, including many Baptist organizations, are going in right along with them. Baptist groups across the…
Baptist disaster responder, through Facebook, reports on Nepal efforts
By Jeff Brumley Eddy Ruble used his Facebook status to share a long-time dream with friends Tuesday. “I’ve always dreamed of visiting Nepal, but not under the circumstances to which I am to arrive to today,” he wrote. The circumstances…
Baptists lead movements to ease ex-offender return to society
By Jeff Brumley and Ken Camp There’s a growing push, here and there around the country, to stop treating ex-cons like criminals after they have served their time. The restorative justice movement is nothing new but is taking on fresh…
Aiming to deepen rite’s meaning, Baptist pastor in Ohio baptizes infant
By Jeff Brumley There are plenty of Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran and Methodist churches in Dayton, Ohio, where parents could have an infant child baptized. But one local couple wanted Rodney Kennedy to baptize their 7-month-old son, even though they knew…
From ABP to BNG, Baptist journalists remember past, embrace future
By Jeff Brumley The toxic denominational atmosphere that gave birth to Associated Baptist Press a quarter century ago is fading into the mists of history. However, its modern descendent — Baptist News Global — still faces daunting modern challenges. Both the bested…