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…
SECOND OPINION: Immigration — What should churches do?
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…
FAITH DIGEST
Game designed to foster understanding. A mechanical engineer from Lincoln, Neb., has designed a question-and-answer game to promote interfaith awareness. John Cooper created “7th Heaven,” a game that tests players' knowledge of Judaism, Islam and Christianity in a way intended…
Move over She-Hulk. Make room for Samson
HARRISBURG, Pa. (RNS)—Jesus and Moses were sold out, but consumers still could line up at the checkout counter to pay for Mary, Noah, David and a ferocious-looking Samson, packaged with Delilah in hot pink. The world of posable action figures…
State Department reports Iraqi insurgency hurts religious freedom
WASHINGTON (RNS)—The continuing insurgency in Iraq is significantly harming the freedom of worship in that country, the State Department said in its 2007 International Religious Freedom Report. The recently released report lists Iraq among 22 countries it notes for either…
OUTLOUD
“A convergent Christian, in many ways, is what [theologian] Don Carson calls a world Christian. Their allegiance to Jesus Christ and his Kingdom is self-consciously set above all national, cultural, linguistic and racial allegiances. Their commitment to the church and…
‘In God We Trust’ motto still mints controversy after 50 years
WASHINGTON—Fifty years after “In God We Trust” first appeared on U.S. paper currency, those four little words have proven to be the source of big debate in the courts. Michael Newdow, the California atheist known for trying to strip “under…
Care for the caregiver
DALLAS (BP)—No one likes to be labeled, but I am of the Baby Boomer Generation, born from 1946 to 1964. (You can just assume I am really close to the 1964 end of the spectrum.) We are mostly suburban kids…
BJC director joins Baptists, others in panel on faith
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Brent Walker, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, is joining other prominent religious leaders as a panelist for a Washington Post/Newsweek online forum on faith issues. Walker's thoughts will appear alongside those of…
News about Virginia Baptists and their ministries for October 4, 2007
STAFF CHANGES • Charles Stewart, to Haymarket Church, Haymarket, as pastor. • T. Kevin Schrum, Buckroe Church, Hampton, as pastor. • Jon Reed, resigning as pastor of Blairs Church, Blairs, to accept a pastorate in Tennessee. • Rupert Rose Jr.,…
Baptist society seeks papers on First Amendement issues
The Baptist History and Heritage Society invites submissions for papers for its 2008 annual meeting to be held May 22-24, 2008, on the Atlanta campus of Mercer University. The society is seeking innovative and engaging paper presentations on the theme,…