By Vicki Brown If a lower court decision stands, the Missouri Baptist Foundation faces a debt to the Missouri Baptist Convention that could reach more than $5 million. On June 6, Judge Frank Conley issued a final judgment in a…
Missouri church helps African immigrants put aside tribal differences
By Vicki Brown Africa is a large continent, with a variety of terrain — from desert to lush jungle to towering mountains — and a diversity of people and languages — from French to English to tribal tongues. As African…
Go tell it, clearly and simply, experts say
By Vicki Brown “Go Tell It on the Mountain” and other popular Christmas songs encourage Christians to share the gospel with joy, but theologians say that in a society increasingly unfamiliar with the Bible, clarity is key. “We need greater…
Church, state and taxes spark debate
By Vicki Brown Congress established the 501(c)3 tax-exempt status applicable to churches, religious organizations and ministers “in recognition of their unique status in American society,” the IRS claims in its Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations. The designation benefits…
Learning to lean — on others
By Vicki Brown Many Christians today view the church as being God’s hands and feet to the world in ministry to others, but don’t allow God to minister to them through the hands and feet of others. “Unfortunately, our culture…
Photo project brings Lakota plight to light
By Vicki Brown A lifelong interest in Native Americans and an online article from 2006 about conditions on a South Dakota reservation prompted a Southwest Baptist University staff member about four years ago to travel to the Pine Ridge Oglala…
Reflections on a fast-moving year in CBF
By Vicki Brown Helping guide the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship through leadership changes and into a new structure was sometimes an exhausting, sometimes exciting process, said Keith Herron, the organization’s immediate past moderator. And it went by fast, he added. “We…
Living sacrifice
By Vicki Brown In biblical times, priests offered animal and grain sacrifices—as thanksgiving or to seek forgiveness for sin. Sacrifice meant death. But in Romans 12:1, the Apostle Paul called on believers to be “living sacrifices.” How does a believer…
Giving it up for Jesus
By Vicki Brown In Romans 12:1, the Apostle Paul called on believers to be “living sacrifices,” but what does it mean for a Christian to sacrifice in contemporary times? For Roger Olson, the Foy Valentine Professor of Christian Theology and…