By Jeff Brumley Former President George W. Bush and Texas Gov. Rick Perry are among those scheduled to speak at the funeral of Van Cliburn Sunday in Fort Worth, Texas. A Russian cellist will also speak at the 3 p.m….
Friends say faith came first for Cliburn
By Jeff Brumley News reports of Van Cliburn’s Feb. 27 death in Fort Worth, Texas, extolled the internationally acclaimed pianist as one of history’s greatest classical musicians. Friends at Broadway Baptist Church in Fort, Worth, Texas, however, remember him as…
Aging pushes churches to fiscal brink
By Jeff Brumley Things were looking bleak for Orange Grove Baptist Church and its aging membership when Greg Shoemaker arrived as its pastor about a year ago. Located just north of Pascagoula, Miss., the congregation and community around it had…
Church sold as members go missional
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…