By Jeff Brumley They tried hiring a consultant, new worship styles, luring nonprofits as renters and seeking other churches for mergers. But each approach fell through for the roughly 50 aging members of Scott Boulevard Baptist Church in Decatur, Ga. The congregation’s next step…
Baptists mark Ash Wednesday
By Jeff Brumley Baptists are increasingly observing Lent this year if Facebook is any indication, with news feeds filled with announcements of morning, afternoon and evening Ash Wednesday services today. Among the first were the folks at Park Avenue Baptist…
Church, CBF responding to Miss. twister
By Jeff Brumley The images and stories from Hattiesburg, Miss., present the devastation the Sunday’s twister brought to the city. But when finally reached by phone in the Mississippi town, Rusty Edwards had to mention the miraculous. “As far as I…
True Love Waits turns 20
By Jeff Brumley Ryan Rouse, 33, credits a little piece of paper kept in his Bible for helping him remain a virgin until his wedding day in 2002. “There were definitely times when temptation would start to factor in –…
Baptist church sign wows NYC, media
By Jeff Brumley “Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.” Thus read the sign recently in front of Madison Avenue Baptist Church, a New York City congregation whose pastor is all about convincing folks…
Church security after Sandy Hook
By Jeff Brumley The Sandy Hook school massacre terrified parents nationwide and sparked a debate on gun control and school security. But it’s also led to some soul searching on church staffs worried about how to best protect worshipers and…
Baptists host Episcopalians, wine
By Jeff Brumley Baptists, communion and wine are words rarely used together. But they will be the next four Sundays as First Baptist Church in Dayton, Ohio, hosts an Episcopal parish for worship while the latter’s building undergoes renovations. The…
New lives for CBF missionaries
By Jeff Brumley The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in October announced its six newest field personnel. In June, they’ll be commissioned and most will leave for their assignments in the fall. But all of them are already intensely working to raise the…
Sermon says: ‘Keep Church Weird’
By Jeff Brumley Becky and Joshua Speight were walking the walk last year when they preached on the need to “Keep Church Weird.” “Our congregation had never seen a dual sermon before, and we had never written one together,” Becky…
Exploring ‘God Behaving Badly’
By Jeff Brumley Kevin Glenn is already hearing the grumbling about his nine-week sermon series on “God Behaving Badly,” and it hasn’t even begun yet. “I have people complaining about the title,” said Glenn, pastor of Memorial Baptist Church in…
Baptism: How young is too young?
By Jeff Brumley Something just clicked for Charity Roberson when she knew it was time for her to be baptized. Roberson, now the pastor at Sharon Baptist Church in Smithfield, N.C., was 9 at the time. Some of the memories…
CBF Missouri now CBF Heartland
By Jeff Brumley The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Missouri is no more. Its coordinating council voted last fall to change the name to CBF Heartland, and the change was officially announced today on its web site and Facebook page. Leadership…