William James Cumbie was a mover and shaker on the Virginia Baptist scene for nearly 60 years. He first appeared on the Virginia scene in 1948 when, at age 25, he was the energetic new pastor of the First Baptist…
ANOTHER VIEW: ‘Aunt Ida’ is very perceptive
The excellent editorial in the Jan. 24 issue of the Religious Herald, entitled “Aunt Ida preaches to preachers,” highlighted the profile of most forced terminations. The epidemic is much wider spread than most realize. And the effects are deeper and…
News about Virginia Baptists and their ministries for March 8, 2007
Staff Changes Michael A. Garner, to Dover Church, Manakin-Sabot, as pastor. John A. Budde, to Belle View Church, Alexandria, as pastor. Gary Kingery, to Gethsemane Church, Boones Mill, as pastor. Tom Clark, to Calvary Church, Concord, as intentional interim pastor….
Hands to the plow
Members of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board's glocal missions and evangelism team staff are accustomed to sending Virginia Baptists within the state, across the United States and throughout the world as volunteers in mission service. But between Jan. 24 and…
World’s Baptists gather to say goodbye to Lotz
A capacity crowd of 750 Baptists gathered in the ballroom of a Washington, D.C., area hotel last week to honor the life and ministry of Denton Lotz, general secretary of the Baptist World Alliance, as he plans to retire. The…
Saddleback’s Rick Muchow shares experiences of worship leading
For 20 years, Rick Muchow, worship leader of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., has shared the platform with Rick Warren. While others might have wilted under the intensity of this experience, Muchow has thrived. In Richmond to lead the…
Dobson, others seek ouster of NAE officer for support of efforts to end global warming
More than two dozen evangelical leaders are seeking the ouster of Richard Cizik from the National Association of Evangelicals because of his “relentless campaign” against global warming. In a March 1 letter to L. Roy Taylor, chairman of the NAE…
Justice is theme of BTSR’s preaching, worship seminar
“Let Justice Roll” is the theme of the ninth annual Chester Brown, Hampton Baptist Church Preaching and Worship Conference, set for May 21-23 and sponsored by Baptist Theological Seminary in Richmond. Plenary and worship sessions, which will be held at…
FIRST PERSON: Hip hop and holubtsi
I love the ethnic diversity of inner cities. In Philadelphia, a group of Baptist state convention executives and editors were treated to a quick glimpse of contemporary Baptist life in the Baptist Convention of Pennsylvania-South Jersey (BCPSJ), where Anglos make…
SBC president shares concerns
Addressing the editors of state Baptist papers in Philadelphia on Feb. 16, Southern Baptist Convention president Frank Page shared devotional thoughts, then allowed questions from the editors who had gathered from across the nation for their annual meeting. “I am…
Did the IMB ‘investigate’ charges? Wade Burleson, IMB say no
Wade Burleson says there was no “investigation” by the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board into his allegations of trustee improprieties—despite the insistence of some trustees that there was. “What idiot told Mr. Burleson there was no trustee investigative committee?”…
Carson-Newman president, resigns amid turmoil
James Netherton, the embattled president of Carson-Newman College, is resigning from the Baptist-affiliated school to become executive vice president of Mercer University. Netherton, president of Carson-Newman since 2000, has been under pressure in recent months. He was the target of…