ATLANTA — Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal and Moderator-elect Colleen Burroughs have issued a historic letter in response to Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” The statement responding to King’s letter emerged from the annual…
EDITORIAL: 22 years of therapy — for free
The editorial theme we and our New Voice Media partners chose for this issue has to do with the support ministers (and others) can give each other. Although I have mentioned it in previous editorials, I feel compelled be more…
Religious Herald marks 183 years
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Baptist leaders and Religious Herald staff gathered in downtown Richmond Jan. 11 to mark the day 183 years earlier the Virginia Baptist newsjournal published its first issue. Marking the Herald’s 183rd anniversary were (from left) Jim…
BJC’s Walker recognized for advancing religious liberty
RICHMOND, Va. (ABP)—Baptist Joint Committee Executive Director J. Brent Walker was recognized Jan. 13 for his work advancing freedom of conscience and basic human rights for people of all faiths, traditions and cultures. Walker was named the Virginia First Freedom…
Women are told they are God’s masterpiece during WMUV getaway
LYNCHBURG, Va. — Nearly one thousand women gathered at Eagle Eyrie Baptist Conference Center for fellowship, worship and learning at the annual WMUV Women’s Get-Away, Nov. 6-8. The theme for this year’s Get-Away, “Masterpiece in the Making,” was centered on…
SECOND OPINION: Will your congregation exist in 10 years?
North America has at least 350,000 religious congregations. Every year about one percent of them die. That means that 10 years from now, 35,000 congregations will no longer exist. Will your church be one of them? What is the “survivability…
OUT LOUD
“They may get the stuff, but we’ll get the souls. They may get the past, but we’ve got the future.” Anglican Bishop Robert Duncan Bishop Duncan, who has split with the Episcopal Church and formed the Anglican Church in North…
From the Eastern Shore to Cumberland Gap
STAFF CHANGES • Robert Edwards, to New Bridge Church, Sandston, as senior pastor. INSTALLATION: Timothy Neal Madison was installed as the third pastor of Mechanicsville Baptist Church on Oct. 18. He had served as pastor of the Madison Heights Baptist…
EDITORIAL: Which crown would you want?
In my opinion, Carrie Prejean is an example of what is wrong with American Christianity. Two weeks ago if you had asked me, “Who is Carrie Prejean?,” I’m not sure I could have remembered. But last Tuesday morning, before I…
HERITAGE: Glad times in Charlotte
When court is in session, there must be some folks walking about in Charlotte Courthouse, Va.; but otherwise there are not many reasons to produce a crowd. There’s a drug store, a convenience store, a large public school, a few…
Students prove ‘Change Matters’
RICHMOND, Va. — Change matters. It really does. Just ask the hundreds of Virginia Baptist students who dropped the change in their pockets into 5-gallon water containers during student events this year and collectively raised $7,660.21 to support ‘clean water’…
Heritage Day celebrated at Lakewood Manor
RICHMOND, Va. — Heritage Day was celebrated at Lakewood Manor, a Virginia Baptist Homes community, on Oct. 22 with recognition of 25 long-time residents and 15 long-time employees. Among the 25 residents were four who are over 100 years old:…