By Robert Dilday Bill Self, a longtime Atlanta-area pastor and prominent Baptist leader for decades, died Jan. 9 after a long struggle with Lou Gehrig’s Disease. He would have turned 84 on Jan. 10. Self was pastor emeritus of Johns…
Baptists in Virginia elect officers, adopt reduced budget
By Robert Dilday The Baptist General Association of Virginia elected a new president Nov. 11 in a voting process which featured two candidates for the first time in 15 years, during an annual meeting which also included adoption of a…
Brad Hoffmann to be nominated for BGAV presidency
By Robert Dilday Brad Hoffmann, a suburban Richmond, Va., pastor, will be nominated in November as president of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, it was announced Oct. 21. Hoffmann, pastor of Cool Spring Baptist Church in Mechanicsville, will be…
Pastor Nancy Stanton McDaniel to be nominated as BGAV president
By Robert Dilday Central Virginia pastor Nancy Stanton McDaniel, who currently serves as the Baptist General Association of Virginia’s first vice president, will be nominated in November as BGAV president, it was confirmed Oct. 20. If elected, McDaniel, pastor of…
Refugee crisis spurs Baptist assistance
By Eron Henry and Robert Dilday Baptists are ratcheting up their assistance to the growing refugee crisis in Europe, as increasing numbers of migrants are fleeing war and economic dislocation for safer havens. European leaders are struggling to develop a…
Racially diverse nation isn’t mirrored in most religious groups
By Robert Dilday The American Baptist Churches U.S.A. ranks in the top 10 of the most racially diverse religious groups in the United States, according to a recent study by the Pew Research Center. But with 73 percent of its…
Rwandan peacemaker given human rights award
By Robert Dilday The son of Rwandan refugees who became a catalyst for peace and reconciliation among ethnic rivalries in his east African nation was recognized July 23 for his vision of “the church as a home of peace.” Corneille…
Developing ‘transcongregational’ mindset could be BWA’s gift to Baptists, says Upton
By Robert Dilday The Baptist World Alliance may be the best opportunity Baptists have to embrace a “transcongregational” mindset which balances their historic adherence to congregational autonomy while avoiding the isolation of local church independence. That’s the assessment of outgoing…
New BWA president aims to be transformative agent
By Robert Dilday Living in apartheid-era South Africa, Paul Msiza found both his race and his religion objects of scorn. The country’s legal and social systems discriminated against blacks, while the close association between the nation’s state church and those…