RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Baptist Homes Foundation is hosting its annual Lakewood Manor Golf Tournament at Independence Golf Club April 21. Registration begins at 10 a.m., followed by lunch and a 12 noon shotgun start. All proceeds from the tournament…
VBHS to sponsor hymn festival
RICHMOND, Va. — “Sing Praises Old & New” is the theme for a hymn festival to be held at the annual meeting of the Virginia Baptist Historical Society May 17 at 7:30 p.m. at Grace Baptist Church in Richmond. The…
CBFVA explores what it means to be Baptist in the 21st century
MECHANICSVILLE, Va. — Baptists must acknowledge their reputation is suffering in many quarters of American life, but society has regarded Baptists with suspicion since the movement was born in the 17th century. That was the assessment of church historian Bill…
EDITORIAL: Big Bible or little Bible?
Using both hands, I gingerly turned the giant pages, yellowed with age, lest I should inadvertently damage the treasure of information before me. Eagerly my eyes scanned the small print for a report and an interpretation of what had happened…
Ministry seeks to share God’s love with the ‘strangers among us’
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — The struggles of life are the same for every person. Affordable housing, the ability to support one’s family, transportation, health care, raising children — but for some these struggles are greater due to an environment they do…
From the Eastern Shore to the Cumberland Gap
STAFF CHANGES • James W. Holt, to Summit Point Church, Summit Point, WV, as pastor. • Michael Peedin, to Stanardsville Church, Stanardsville, as pastor. • Jeff Kinder, to Rosedale Church, Rosedale, as pastor. • John Hertzler, to First Church, Newport…
VITAL SIGNS: A church for those who wander
The book of James closes with a most interesting assertion: “My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will…
OUT LOUD
“To impugn our motives (that we are selling out the Bible for the pottage of popularity), to reduce our concerns about love and justice to sentimentality, to dismiss us with the ‘L’ word and a questionable narrative surrounding it, and…
Tennessee amends anti-Shariah bill
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) — Tennessee lawmakers are rewriting a bill that described Islamic law as a threat to U.S. security and seemed to equate peaceful Muslim practices with terrorism. State Sen. Bill Ketron and House Speaker Pro Tempore Judd Matheny,…
Christians question conventional wisdom on divorce stats
It’s been proclaimed from pulpits and blogs for years-Christians divorce as much as everyone else in America. But some scholars and family activists are questioning the oft-cited statistics, saying Christians who attend church regularly are more likely to remain wed….
Controversial Florida pastor presides at burning of Quran
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (RNS) — The controversial Florida pastor who halted plans to burn a Quran on the 9/11 anniversary last year oversaw the burning of the Islamic holy book March 20 after it was found “guilty” during a “trial” at…
BOOK REVIEW: Bonhoeffer’s questions ring true for 21st century Christians
What Would Bonhoeffer Say? By Al Staggs (Parson’s Porch Books) Al Staggs is an itinerant performance artist who has been dramatically interpreting Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Walter Rauschenbusch, Archbishop Oscar Romero, Clarence Jordan and Thomas Merton for decades. He’s a theologian who,…