A man I once knew, now deceased, liked to express his opinion on various topics, such as divorce. He was proud that he still maintained that divorce is wrong, even though his own son was divorced. He gave examples of…
Baptist disaster response in hurricane-stricken Northeast likely to continue into December
Baptist disaster response teams from the Mid-Atlantic have prepared hundreds of thousands of meals in the Northeast, and relief organizers said they expect recovery operations to continue into December in the region hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. An expression of…
EDITORIAL: What’s happening with the Herald?
If cordiality is the standard by which Baptist General Association of Virginia annual meetings are measured, the meeting just ended was one of the best. Newly-elected BGAV president Carl Johnson thanked the messengers at the close of the final session…
OPINION: The call of the question
The simple phrase “I move to call the question” was all it took to stop the discussion and have Ginter Park Baptist Church disassociated from the Baptist General Association of Virginia. Based on what I observed at the annual meeting,…
VITAL SIGNS: The hardest issues we face
One of the most helpful insights I have gained in recent years for understanding the leadership culture of congregational life is the concept of managing polarities. Polarities are ongoing, chronic issues that are unavoidable and unsolvable. They are the hardest…
OPINION: The majority has spoken
After attending/voting at the Baptist General Association of Virginia 2012 annual meeting in Roanoke on the recent issue regarding Ginter Park Baptist Church with their ordination of an openly homosexual man, I feel that many will weigh in with a…
OPINION: On this I take my stand
“On this I take my stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen.” These are the words of Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms on April 18, 1521. On this date, Luther refused to recant his reformation…
Johnson
Johnson
A Q&A with Carl Johnson, the Richmond layman who took the helm as the BGAV’s president Nov. 14
Richmond layman Carl Johnson was elected president of the Baptist General Association of Virginia Nov. 14 during its annual meeting in Roanoke. Johnson, a retired denominational financial officer and a member of First Baptist Church in Richmond, answered a range…
BGAV adopts $12.1 million budget for 2013, elects officers during annual meeting in Roanoke
ROANOKE — A proposed budget for Baptist General Association of Virginia ministries in 2013 which sparked wide-ranging debate for a month was adopted Nov. 14 without discussion or apparent opposition. The BGAV approved the $12.1 million budget and elected officers…
Targeting malaria, Virginia Baptists plan prevention effort, new church initiative in Ghana
ROANOKE — Virginia Baptists aim to put a dent in the spread of malaria through a two-year project launched Nov. 13 to distribute 100,000 chemically-treated mosquito nets in Ghana, where the disease is the No. 1 cause of death. “More…
OPINION: The passion-filled church
What is my purpose? Why am I here? What is the meaning of my life? These are all ancient, lifelong questions that are never definitively answered. One season of self-discovery and affirmation often leads to others filled with doubt and…