Two more county governing boards in the Mid-Atlantic are under fire for giving preference to Christian prayers in opening official meetings. The two counties — one in Maryland, the other in North Carolina — join a growing number of others…
Two Baptist associations — one urban, one rural — merge to form 96-church ministry network
NORFOLK — Two Baptist associations — one in Virginia’s highly-urbanized Hampton Roads, the other on the state’s rural Eastern Shore — have merged to form a new network of 96 churches. At separate meetings in mid-April, representatives of the Norfolk…
Galindo stepping down as dean at BTSR to assume new role at Columbia Theological Seminary
RICHMOND — Israel Galindo, dean and professor of Christian formation and leadership at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, has been named associate dean for lifelong learning at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga., effective Aug. 1. Israel Galindo Galindo, who…
County boards in Md., NC. challenged over official sectarian prayers, joining others in region
Two more county governing boards in the Mid-Atlantic are under fire for giving preference to Christian prayers in opening official meetings. The two counties — one in Maryland, the other in North Carolina — join a growing number of others…
Baptist leaders, with personal experiences, tackle the stigma of mental illness and suicide
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) — Frank Page, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, was getting ready to work in the yard in the fall of 2009 when the phone rang. His daughter was on the line. Daddy, I love you,…
Whirlwind tour takes new CBF executive coordinator to five cities in North Carolina
On the heels of her April 20-25 tour of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship churches in Virginia, CBF executive coordinator Suzii Paynter traveled to North Carolina for another five-city tour that included stops in Asheville, Winston-Salem, Greenville, Raleigh and Charlotte between April…
Ginter Park pastor sends open letter as a quarter of Richmond association churches consider leaving
RICHMOND — Seven weeks after the Richmond Baptist Association narrowly voted to retain the membership of a church which ordained a gay man to the ministry, about a quarter of the association’s congregations have ended ties with it or are…
Full text of open letter from Ginter Park pastor Mandy England Cole to Richmond Baptist Association
On May 5, pastor Mandy England Cole of Ginter Park Baptist Church sent the following open letter to the “staff, executive council and churches of the Richmond Baptist Association.” This week staff and leaders of the Richmond Baptist Association paid…
Beneath the stereotypes, a stressful life for preachers’ kids, say some who’ve lived it
(RNS) — The day Franklin Graham was born, he received a telegram. “Welcome to this sin-sick world,” the Western Union message said, “and to the challenge you have to walk in your daddy’s footsteps.” It didn’t take long for Graham,…
In new books, John Chandler aims to help leaders listen more closely to God
John Chandler, leader of the Spence Network, recently released three books — Praying the Kings, Praying the Prophets and Praying Wisdom — aiming to engage leaders more deeply in Scripture. He recently discussed his motivations for writing the books. Q:…
HERITAGE: ‘What am I to do?’
The weekend of May 3-5 marked the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Chancellorsville near Fredericksburg, Va. An ambitious reenactment was planned, with armies of men in blue and grey, the sounds of cannon fire and the excitement of make-believe…
Beneath the stereotypes, a stressful life for preachers’ kids
(RNS) — The day Franklin Graham was born, he received a telegram. “Welcome to this sin-sick world,” the Western Union message said, “and to the challenge you have to walk in your daddy’s footsteps.” It didn’t take long for Graham,…