WAKE FOREST, N.C. — Anyone wanting a microcosm of the heartache and hurt that surrounded the fracturing of the Southern Baptist Convention in the 1980s and ’90s might zero in on Wake Forest Baptist Church and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary….
TRENDING: Lessons from Argentina, part 3: The humble
Time in Argentina will give you a snapshot of the world that is coming to North America. The trend will be that our culture becomes increasingly multicultural (and multilingual) and highly urbanized. Like the current global south, the North American…
VITAL SIGNS: Why your church building-use policy matters
I know firsthand how utterly boring and laborious creating a building-use policy can be. Every church I have ever served has entered into a major building project. The debate around building use has been a constant. It also has evolved…
HERITAGE: This old house
Anyone who has ever lived in an old house knows that it requires periodic upkeep. Some things have to be replaced. Sometimes new parts are installed to make it energy efficient. And once in a while an old house requires…
John Leland Center partners with Prison Fellowship to train students in justice advocacy
ARLINGTON, Va. — The John Leland Center for Theological Studies is partnering with Prison Fellowship International to provide training and educational opportunities for the seminary’s master of divinity students. The collaboration, announced Jan. 30, is part of Leland’s ministry rotation…
Super Bowl tradition with a twist: Charlottesville church blends shelter ministry with viewing party
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — University Baptist Church, like many American congregations, has a Super Bowl tradition, but for the Charlottesville, Va., church there’s a twist — the viewing audience is homeless men seeking shelter from the sub-freezing temperatures typical during February…
WINN RECOMMENDS
The Evolution of Adam, by Peter Enns (Brazos Press) In the area of human origins, the theological debate currently brewing is over whether or not the creation story demands a literal, historical Adam and Eve (verses Adam and Eve as…
TRENDING: Lessons from Argentina, part 1: Bilingual
Hola mis amigos, ¿cómo estás? I’ve returned from study leave, much of which I’ve spent learning Spanish and living with some wonderful Argentine Baptist friends. “Why?” you say. First, because Argentina is awesome — have you ever heard of dulce…
OUT LOUD
“Worshiping communities that pay attention to the waxing and waning that we find in Scripture … are the healthier for it.” Richard Wilson The professor of Christian theology at Mercer University in Macon, Ga., was discussing the value of following…
Month of preaching represents opportunity to increase presence of women in pulpits
This month, women pastors in Baptist churches across the nation will celebrate their role in the pulpit and for many — like Bailey Nelson Edwards, senior pastor of Flat Rock Baptist Church in Mount Airy, N.C. — the annual Martha…
World religions expert George Braswell marches to different drum in life, witness
BUIES CREEK, N.C. — George Braswell grew up “marching to a different drum” and, at 77, he still does. Braswell — a highly-regarded Baptist expert on world religions — spent much of his early life on the “wrong” side of…
VITAL SIGNS: Staff-led or staff-controlled?
One of the key predictors of strong congregational health is the type of leadership the ministerial and paid staff of a congregation offers. When the staff of a congregation functions out of strong spiritual and organizational health, the entire faith…