PALMYRA, Va. — It started as a coincidence, two churches on opposite sides of the Atlantic sharing an unusual name: Effort Baptist Church. This seemingly random discovery was the beginning of a powerful partnership between a congregation in a central…
In Applachian county, Baptist teens improve lives through Impact Virginia
BLUEFIELD, Va. — Two hundred thirty youth from 13 Baptist churches across Virginia converged on the campus of Bluefield College July 24-30 to make a difference in the lives of families in southwest Virginia through a faith-based community service project…
Virginia’s Baptist collegiate ministry names new leadership at campuses
RICHMOND, Va. — Campuses across Virginia will start the school year with new Baptist campus ministers, following action taken by the Virginia Baptist Mission Board’s emerging leaders team last month. Carey and Gannon Sims • At the University of Mary…
Sims to assist with FX initiative
RICHMOND, Va. — Gannon Sims has been named coordinator assistant for Fresh Expressions, a church revitalization movement coordinated by the Virginia Baptist Mission Board. Gannon Sims Sims will work closely with Chris Backert, Fresh Expressions coordinator in the U.S., and…
Can technology usher in another Pentecost?
DALLAS (ABP) — Texas Baptists are partnering with a non-denominational ministry to harness online language-translation technology that advocates say could be the best tool for cross-cultural evangelism since Pentecost. Called Hope Chat, the tool harnesses the power of ABBY, an…
Equipping the equippers
RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) — Call it a buzz word, a euphemism for the emergent movement or a description of profound shifts in ecclesiology, the term "missional" is entrenched in the vocabulary of 21st century Christianity. Since 2002, Wilshire Baptist Church…
Traditional divinity program aids ministry in nontraditional contexts
WACO, Texas (ABP) — Students who serve in nontraditional ministry settings — whether a postmodern congregation, a cowboy church or something in-between — benefit from the foundation provided in a traditional seminary curriculum, some educators and ministry practitioners insist. Baylor…
Seminaries adapt to changing religious landscape
Changes in America's religious landscape have had enormous impact on seminaries. Mainline schools that once mainly trained ministers for their own denominations now welcome students of all denominational backgrounds. MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (ABP) —Six years after starting as a pilot project,…
Pastor renews call for database of clergy credibly accused of sex abuse
ENID, Okla. (ABP) – An Oklahoma pastor says the Southern Baptist Convention should reconsider a database to help safeguard churches from clergy who are sexual predators. Wade Burleson Wade Burleson, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Enid, Okla., made a…
American Muslims hopeful about life in the U.S.
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Ten years after the 9/11 attacks, an extensive new survey of Muslims finds them as optimistic as other Americans, even as large minorities of Christian Americans question Muslims' loyalty to the United States. The survey, released by the…
FAITH DIGEST
Americans want religious presidents. A majority of Americans (56 percent) say it's important for a candidate to have strong beliefs, even if those beliefs differ from their own, according to the poll conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute in partnership…
Missional education seeks to train church leaders contextally
Call it a buzz word, a euphemism for the emergent movement or a description of profound shifts in ecclesiology — the term "missional" is entrenched in the vocabulary of 21st century Christianity. Although the concept is subject to wide-ranging and…