By Jeff Brumley Mimi Walker, pastor at Druid Hills Baptist Church in Atlanta, says she never took a course on real estate negotiating while in seminary. In fact, she doesn’t know of any seminaries that offer one. “But I think…
Though reversed, approving Muslim calls to prayer at Duke not threatening, theologian says
By Jeff Brumley This story has been updated from an earlier one posted before Duke University announced its changed policy. Baptists, if no one else, should not have opposed Duke University’s decision this week to allow a Muslim student group to…
Church will gift its property to become ‘ministry incubator’
By Jeff Brumley Challenged by financial and membership declines, some congregations choose merger and some become satellite campuses while others sell to developers or simply close the doors and turn off the lights. Hillcrest Baptist Church in Mobile, Ala., chose…
Cost-effective conference fosters fellowship for busy and financially challenged pastors
By Jeff Brumley Three years in ministry have taught Alina Carbonell some pretty tough lessons about juggling church and family, overseeing both youth and adult members and the fact she can’t share personal struggles with her congregations. “I have discovered…
Survey seeks to educate parents, youth ministers on teen texting
By Jeff Brumley Trying to figure out what teens are saying to each other in acronym-heavy text messages can drive parents and youth ministers batty. The lexicon has gone far beyond LOL and ROFL to what often looks like more…
Oklahoma church paves way on interfaith and missions
By Jeff Brumley Last fall, an Oklahoma Guardsman and member of a Baptist church met an Afghan doctor who had just immigrated to the United States after years interpreting for American combat troops. The soldier essentially adopted the Muslim man…
Baptist chaplains wage offensive for military care
By Vicki Brown and Jeff Brumley American military personnel and their families have gone all-out during more than 10 years of continuous war, enduring unprecedented spikes in the tempo and duration of deployments. That’s why it takes an equally all-out…
Baptist leaders eye hopes, fears for church in 2015
By Jeff Brumley Some congregational coaches hope to see a return to Christ-centered values in the American church, while some Baptist scholars are eager for Christians in the United States to hear and feel the pain suffered by persecuted counterparts…