RALEIGH — When the call came to open a soup kitchen in the fellowship hall, the congregation of Temple Baptist Church in Raleigh embraced the idea. But as church members shifted into high gear, opening the church’s doors to the…
Fan or foe, children’s sermon here to stay
TEASER: Critics say the sermons aren't really sermons and aren't really for kids; supporters say they are a way to include children in worship. (ABP) — Judging from the absence of squirming and giggling, Holly Smith’s children’s sermon was quite…
Fresh Expressions’ new trustees survey work at first meeting of church renewal group’s board
RICHMOND — Fresh Expressions, the two-year-old church renewal collaboration of Baptists and other Christian groups, positioned itself for additional growth Oct. 15 at the first meeting of its recently-formed board of trustees. The eight-member board, which reports to the Virginia…
BTSR hosts first workshop, homecoming for former participants in its Mission Immersion Program
RICHMOND — Mission Immersion Experience field coordinators from five countries traveled to Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond Sept. 24-28 for a training workshop and homecoming event with former MIE participants. It was the first time the seminary had offered this…
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After Romney meeting in North Carolina, Billy Graham website scrubs Mormon ‘cult’ reference
(RNS) — The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association removed language labeling Mormonism a “cult” from its website after the famed preacher met with Republican nominee Mitt Romney last week and pledged to help his presidential campaign. The removal came after a…
African-American Baptists followed divergent paths toward goal of racial uplift, says VUU professor
BELTON, Texas — The story of black Baptists in the 20th century reflects the larger story of African-Americans’ quest for equality, says Virginia Union University historian Adam Bond. African-American Baptists shared a common goal of “racial uplift,” but their approaches…
Pair of boots becomes symbol for congregation’s renewal
PROVIDENCE FORGE, Va. — A pair of work boots sprayed with grey paint has become a symbol of renewal for the members of Emmaus Baptist Church, a congregation in New Kent County, Va. “Emmaus Baptist Church is well known for…
NEW: BGAV budget proposal would reduce allocations in 2013
LYNCHBURG, Va. — The Baptist General Association of Virginia will consider in November a slightly reduced overall budget for 2013 which significantly decreases allocations for most of its partner agencies while increasing by about 6.5 percent funding for ministries of its…
BGAV budget proposal would reduce allocations in 2013
LYNCHBURG, Va. — The Baptist General Association of Virginia will consider in November a slightly reduced overall budget for 2013 which significantly decreases allocations for most of its partner agencies while increasing by about 6.5 percent funding for ministries of its…
Pastors and musicians: allies or rivals?
(RNS) — Eileen Guenther, the national president of the American Guild of Organists, reveals behind-the-scenes church struggles in her new book, Rivals or a Team?: Clergy-Musician Relationships in the Twenty-First Century. Guenther, an associate professor of church music at Washington’s…
Online community seen as mission field
(ABP) — Jim Somerville pastors a Baptist congregation in Virginia that, thanks to the Internet, includes people living in Austria, India and Slovakia. And now, he learned recently, some guy in Iowa. “He said ‘I tune in online and consider…