I am a Christian because of the ministry of two "laymen." One was a mechanic, the other a salesman. When I was a teenager, they invited me to ride their bus to church. If they had not knocked on my…
Churches offer ‘Soul Food,’ encouragement to the unemployed
When people are in trouble following natural disasters, churches usually respond rapidly and generously. The disaster of chronic unemployment creates a different set of challenges, but some churches across the country provide models of ministry to people affected by economic…
If God made us for meaningful labor, what if we can’t find a job?
In an uncertain and unstable economy, how do Christians reconcile work as a reflection of the image of God in them with high unemployment and under-employment rates? Should believers reexamine what defines "meaningful" work? How do Christians reconcile faith issues…
Beyond immediate ministry, a call to address social inequities
While many churches reach out to meet the immediate needs of people who have lost jobs, Christians also are called to tackle underlying social issues related to employment and to partner with others to help make long-term changes, some ethicists…
Australian Baptists oppose gay marriage
MELBOURNE, Australia (ABP) – Baptist leaders in Australia issued statements Aug. 24 opposing a proposal to change the current legal definition of marriage to include gay couples. John Beasy, national president of Australian Baptist Ministries -– formerly the Baptist Union…
Baylor faces potential reduction in BGCT funding plan
DALLAS (ABP) — A recommendation approved by the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board’s education and finance subcommittees would adjust funding guidelines to “level the playing field” for universities receiving Texas Baptist Cooperative Program funds, said Steve Vernon, associate…
Job Corps injects hope into discouraged hearts
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (ABP) — Those unemployed long-term suffer from more than loss of a paycheck. Being jobless shatters certainty and puts at risk every level of security a person has worked to accumulate. Joblessness assaults self worth, psychological stability and…
Churches near quake’s epicenter left with cracked walls, broken glass
MINERAL, Va. (ABP) — The rare East Coast earthquake Aug. 23 left two Baptist churches near the epicenter with cracked walls and broken glass, but no major damage, said spokespersons at each congregation. Mineral Baptist Church and Louisa Baptist Church…
LifeWorks joins pieces for women in mountains
CLYDE, N.C. (ABP) — Economic life is never easy in western North Carolina’s mountains and 70 percent of the poor are locked into “generational poverty” that holds them back like the concrete anchors on their mobile homes. At least the…
Former Congressman, civil-rights activist, among freed Libyan captives
Walter Fauntroy WASHINGTON (ABP) – Former Congressman and Baptist preacher Walter Fauntroy was among three dozen foreign journalists freed Aug. 24 from a Tripoli hotel after five harrowing days of being held captive by loyalists to the formerly powerful Libyan…
Churches near quake’s epicenter left with cracked walls, broken glass
MINERAL, Va. — The rare East Coast earthquake Aug. 23 left two Baptist churches near the epicenter with cracked walls and broken glass, but no major damage, said spokespersons at each congregation. Mineral Baptist Church and Louisa Baptist Church —…
National Cathedral suffers ‘significant damage’ in quake
WASHINGTON (RNS) — The earthquake that rumbled up the East Coast from Virginia on Aug. 23 “significantly damaged” the central tower of Washington National Cathedral, shaking carved stone finials from atop the iconic church. The quake also left cracks in…