By Jeff Brumley Baptist historian Bill Leonard waded into the troubled waters of believer’s baptism June 28, but told his audience it’s really another issue that should be engaging them. “We have to rediscover what it means to say we…
At 81, Baptist a Moral Monday protester
By Jeff Brumley When Baptist Jacqueline Allen of Chapel Hill began participating this month in the Moral Monday protests against the Republican-led North Carolina legislature, she got a loving-but-firm admonition from her daughter and son-in-law: don’t get arrested. “An 81-year-old…
CBF lauds ‘chaplain’s pastor’ George Pickle
By Jeff Brumley George Pickle was sent off by Cooperative Baptist Fellowship chaplains and pastoral counselors Thursday with a stack of plaques, two hours of laughter and more important reminders that he will always be their friend and spiritual leader….
‘Dawnings’ a way of living, being church
By Jeff Brumley Dawnings, CBF’s new missional process for congregations, is about discerning God’s will for churches and ministries, Bo Prosser, coordinator of missional congregations, said during a presentation about the system today in Greensboro, N.C. What it is not, he…
Busy, historic General Assembly for CBF
By Jeff Brumley General Assembly 2013 is expected to be one of the busier – and more historic – gatherings in CBF’s history, as participants welcome a new leader and vote to significantly streamline the organization to meet current and…
One giant step for West, Texas
By Jeff Brumley The Central Texas city rocked by a fertilizer plant explosion took a giant leap toward recovery last week during “Loving West,” a cleanup campaign organized by the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Planners with BGCT disaster recovery…
Doctrinal disputes disappear in disaster
Jeff Brumley The capital “C” Church is on display in West, Texas, as Churches of Christ, Methodists, Mennonites and Baptists join together to help the Central Texas city recover from the April fertilizer plant explosion. Doctrinal controversies such as grace-vs.-works or whether the Bible is inerrant take a…
In West, helpers become the helped
By Jeff Brumley It’s hard being helped when you’re used to being the helper. Just ask the folks at First Baptist Church in West, Texas. Church member Presley Landrum, 16, said she and her youth group friends are accustomed to…
Moderates among Baptists ‘Loving West’
By Jeff Brumley If faith has led hundreds of volunteers from around the state to descend on West, Texas, for 13-year-old Emily Dodson it was that and something more personal. “I know people who lost friends, dads,” said Dodson, a…
SBC messengers learn to get along
By Jeff Brumley Southern Baptists experienced little antagonism during their annual convention in Houston this week – a phenomenon that surprised some and delighted most SBC officials and messengers. There were plenty of opportunities for controversy. Debates ensued – but…
SBC pastor preaches mental health
By Jeff Brumley Compared to Southern Baptist Convention resolutions on the Boy Scouts and protection of children from sex predators, the one urging churches to develop intentional, compassionate ministries for the mentally ill got scant attention from local and national…
ERLC leader to work with moderates
By Jeff Brumley The new leader of the Southern Baptist Convention’s moral concerns agency says he hopes to build working relationships with moderate and cooperative Baptists, and that he will not treat those who disagree with SBC positions as adversaries. Russell…