By Vicki Brown Does God have prescribed roles for men and women, and does he require those roles to be filled in specific ways? Many evangelicals, including Baptists, are divided into two camps on this issue – “complementarian” and “egalitarian.”…
Women seek God’s will at home, church
By Vicki Brown Married nearly five years, Courtney Fenton of Hannibal, Mo., wanted to be married but wasn’t sure she wanted to have children. But the day she married, “something switched” in her brain and the desire for little ones…
Baptist school names president
By Vicki Brown Anthony Allen, a 44-year-old administrator at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has been named 17th president of Baptist-affiliated Hannibal-LaGrange University in Missouri. Allen, senior vice president for administration and chief administrative officer at the Southern Baptist Convention seminary…
Woman follows father into pulpit
By Vicki Brown A Southern Baptist church in Missouri is under scrutiny by its local association for replacing a pastor who resigned for health reasons with his daughter. Melody Pryor, pastor of First Baptist Church of Stanton, Mo., said she…
Merging churches across racial lines demands work
Churchnet builds collaboration
By Vicki Brown At a time when many denominations are waning, the head of a breakaway 10-year-old Baptist state convention in Missouri believes “genuine” collaboration will keep congregations working together. “The vision we have … is to try to create…
CBF initiative brings hope to nation’s poorest counties
By Vicki Brown The Lakota of Bridger, S.D., now have fresh eggs available in their neighborhood at about half the cost, and young women in Helena, Ark., are learning business and leadership skills while earning an income to help their…
Candidate: Faith, politics mix in public arena
By Vicki Brown A Baptist preacher’s wife running for lieutenant governor in Missouri says that while voters should consider a candidate’s moral character and values, faith should not be used for political ends. Judy Baker, who has a master’s degree…
Faith & Politics
By Vicki Brown While the U.S. Constitution specifically mandates no religious litmus test should be used to determine who holds office, Christians still grapple with how — and if — their faith should inform their choice in candidates. And they…
Faith & politics: Making choices in a fallen world
By Vicki Brown Passion and conviction often direct a Christian in choosing public servants. Economic concerns, social-justice issues, foreign policy or a host of other issues can be of primary concern. Suppose Candidate A’s approach on one issue matches, but…
Union’s impact on life leads retired pastor to collective bargaining table
Baptist agencies don’t recruit nationals for U.S. missionary service
By Vicki Brown Baptist missionary-sending agencies in the United States say they have no plans to recruit missionaries from other countries to reach out to people groups from those nations that have immigrated to America. While the Southern Baptist Convention…