By Jeff Brumley Some pastors may look forward to — and even need — a post-holiday lull. But not Doug Dortch, the senior minister at Mountain Brook Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. Instead, he’ll be busy those first few days…
Making spiritual resolutions
By Jeff Brumley New Year’s resolutions usually involve vows of eating better, exercising more and maybe delving into the self-help section at the book store. But for others it also means renewing or reinventing efforts to get right with, or…
Baptist church reports image of Christ
By Jeff Brumley Reports of bleeding religious statues and spiritual images on water towers are usually associated with Catholic and Pentecostal churches. But now you can add some South Carolina Baptists to the mix. Care Baptist Church in Spartanburg recently alerted…
Workshop to address SBC decline
By Jeff Brumley Stemming the decline in Southern Baptist church membership will be the focus of a Jan. 29 workshop hosted by the Florida Baptist Convention and North American Mission Board in Brandon, Fla. The Florida Baptist Witness reported the…
Westboro: Condemn or ignore them?
By Jeff Brumley Public resentment of Westboro Baptist Church has reached new heights as a petition drive to label it a hate group has surpassed 250,000 signatures. Even some religious leaders have joined in the chorus denouncing the Kansas-based group…
Baptist group grants millions
By Jeff Brumley Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio said it awarded almost $6 million in grants during 2012. The amount — $5,839,804, to be exact – represents a 3 percent increase over last year and brings total grants given…
Fire damages church in Forth Worth
By Jeff Brumley The fire that heavily damaged Chinese Baptist Church of Forth Worth, Texas, on Christmas Eve has left its congregation shaken during one of the most sacred seasons of the year. It’s an emotionally searing experience that another…
Blaming God for tragedy nothing new
By Jeff Brumley Many criticized prominent evangelicals like James Dobson and Mike Huckabee for claiming last week’s Connecticut school massacre was God’s punishment of a morally disobedient nation, but don’t expect such views to change. Scholars say the belief in divine retribution…
Christmas key time for Hospitality House
By Jeff Brumley It’s always tough visiting loved ones in prison. A spouse or parent can see incarceration taking its toll over the years while they continue to deal with the legal, financial, social and emotional impact of the crimes….