By Jeff Brumley If the deadly Oklahoma tornado has a silver lining, it may be the ecumenical spirit driving the response and recovery efforts of local churches, local ministers say. Local Baptist and other pastors describe an ongoing, cooperative effort…
More religious freedoms in Cuba?
By Jeff Brumley While the U.S. government reports that religious rights remain greatly restricted in Cuba, a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship official said his own experience is that freedoms are improving on the Communist island. Ray Johnson, coordinator of CBF Florida,…
OKC responders prepare, tell volunteers to wait
By Robert Dilday and Jeff Brumley Baptist churches and individuals eager to help the victims of Monday’s deadly Oklahoma twister are being told to get ready — and to wait. While some faith-based disaster-response agencies are cleared by authorities to…
Responders wait as Okla. twister news unfolds
By Jeff Brumley If you’re already wondering how Baptists disaster-relief organizations are going to respond to today’s massive Oklahoma tornadoes, you’re not alone. Leaders of those groups are wondering, too. “We’re watching it on television like everyone else,” said Tommy…
Staying calm is key to managing disasters
By Jeff Brumley It’s been a busy year for Baptist disaster-relief coordinators with tornadoes ripping Georgia, Mississippi and Texas, flooding in the Midwest and the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas. All of that while conducting long-term recovery operations from…
Sovereign Grace sex abuse case dismissed
By Jeff Brumley Citing technicalities including the statute of limitations, a Maryland judge on May 17 dismissed a lawsuit against Sovereign Grace Ministries, a church-planting network with ties to Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. The suit’s 11 plaintiffs…
Spiritual formation growing online
By Jeff Brumley Ministers of spiritual formation are turning to the World Wide Web to counter the interference that hectic schedules, frequent traveling, social media and all the other demands of modern life can have on healthy discipleship. Jayne Davis,…
Missional before missional was cool
By Jeff Brumley An expert on church leadership says Mission Arlington was missional before missional was cool. But founder Tillie Burgin doesn’t care much for the term. “It was always confusing to me, and we certainly never use it,” Burgin,…
Newtown event inspires disaster officials
By Jeff Brumley A CBF-supported conference called to help Newtown-area clergy has inspired Fellowship leaders to develop plans for responding to man-made disasters like the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre. The April 26 workshop in Connecticut has similarly led other participants,…