Let's face it: Global migrations in the 21st century will not disappear just because of wishful thinking. According to the “Fact File: Global Migrations” of the BBC, in the year 2002, while 630 million were native born, 175 million people…
Revival of the arts
FALLS CHURCH (ABP)—Architect Larry Cook believes “any building completely devoid of art is devoid of spirituality.” The Virginian is one of a growing number of architects who welcome the return of symbolism and spirituality to church buildings. After decades of…
Welcoming the strangers
“The influx of large numbers of people from foreign parts has always been regarded as dangerous to American institutions, civil and religious,” said the speaker at the annual meeting of the General Association in 1885. The meeting was held at…
Interest violates Scriptural command
In response to the article “Payday, someday?,” which appeared in the Oct. 4 issue, let me first of all applaud the efforts by the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy to combat the practices of payday lenders in our commonwealth….
Disappointed in ‘green’ article
I am disappointed that you chose to run such a one-sided piece as the “Being Green” article by Hannah Elliott [Herald, Oct. 4]. I do not see evidence cited to show that humans are responsible for climate change, but I…
RIGHT OR WRONG?
A well-to-do couple in our church has offered to buy our softball team's church-league equipment and uniforms if the church will elect the husband as a deacon and name him chairman. If this request is as haywire as I think…
Historic sanctuaries: To be or not to be?
DALLAS—When maintaining a sanctuary with a long history, congregations must look long into the future, according to Keith Crouch, Baptist General Convention of Texas church architecture director. Spencer Elliott Calvary Baptist Church, New York City Decisions about maintaining a historic…
FIRST PERSON: 225 years for Northwest church
CHESAPEAKE — Rarely does a church celebrate a 225th anniversary. One such church is Northwest Baptist Church in Chesapeake. This church predates the Portsmouth Baptist Association by nine years. Dating back to 1782, when the church was called North Upper…
EDITORIAL: Pastor-church relations
I remember how clear and cold it was on that New Mexico morning as I sat sipping coffee with two pastors at the Glorieta Conference Center. At the time, in the mid-1980s, I was editing The Deacon, a publication of…
Southerners give more to religious organizations
WASHINGTON (RNS)—The numbers prove it: Southerners are more generous to their churches, while lagging in other categories of giving. Using data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a new study by empty tomb inc. shows that in 2005,…
News about Virginia Baptists and their Ministries for Oct. 18, 2007
STAFF CHANGES • Phil Andrews, to Liberty Church, Hopewell, as senior pastor. • Michael Alan Jordan, to Mount Vernon Church, Axton, as pastor. • Bill Sigler, to Saluda Church, Saluda, as pastor. • Earnie Taylor, resigning as pastor of Union…
SECOND OPINION: Imprecatory prayer: Is invoking a curse a valid part of prayer?
Editor's note: Former Southern Baptist Convention second vice president and California pastor Wiley Drake recently called for Christians to pray for God's judgment to fall on leaders of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which had encouraged the…