TAMPA, Fla. (ABP) — Women are making slow but steady progress into ministry positions in Baptist churches, according to a report released June 22 by Baptist Women in Ministry. The fourth State of Women in Baptist Life report by the…
BJC defends limits on lawsuits against religious organizations
WASHINGTON (ABP) – The Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty joined other groups in a legal brief arguing that a teacher fired by a Christian school should not be allowed to sue her former employer under the Americans with Disabilities…
AFA’s Bryan Fischer accuses SBC of pandering to gays, illegal aliens
TUPELO, Miss. (ABP) – A prominent conservative social activist has accused the Southern Baptist Convention of pandering to gays and illegal immigrants. Bryan Fischer Bryan Fischer, radio talk show host and spokesman for the American Family Association, commented in a…
VITAL SIGNS: What will we do with failure?
Failure. Just saying the word in the same sentence as our name makes us nervous. Far too often, failure and ministry go together. Frequently, failure is the last word for ministers and churches. Many ministers’ inner life is marked by…
EDITORIAL: Positive signs in SBC leadership?
If you didn’t realize the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting was being held last week in Phoenix, you were not alone. For the first time since 1944, fewer than 5,000 messengers registered for the two-day conference. Only 4,780 had registered…
HERITAGE: Fulfilling the covenant
Black Creek Baptist Church in rural Southampton County, Va., celebrated its 225th anniversary last month. The home folks put thought and effort into the anniversary. They invited former pastors and members. They created an instant museum out of one of…
TRENDING: Rhythym of life
Peter Drucker famously remarked that the three most difficult jobs in the United States were university president, hospital administrator and pastor of a local church. Yet no one seems to be able to explain what a minister does. There are…
OUT LOUD
“As churches see immigrants here among us, our first question is not, ‘What is their legal status?’ The question first and foremost is ‘What is their gospel status?’ ” Paul Jimenez The chair of the Southern Baptist Convention’s resolutions committee…
Students at HopeTree Family Services’ academy become inventors
SALEM, Va. — The lathe hums quietly as a HopeTree Academy student carefully passes a cutting tool to a small piece of wood. With a steady hand, patience, and gentle pressure, he soon coaxes a curved, elegant cylinder from a…
Linden Heights Baptist Church sponsors Praise in the Park
STAUNTON, Va. — Families from around the Shenandoah Valley and beyond flock to Gypsy Hill Park, a 214-acre park in the heart of downtown Staunton, on summer evenings. While some are there to walk or bike or swim, many arrive…
CBFVA’s mission boxes for Liberia will enable young minds to grow
RICHMOND, Va. — The temperature topped 100 degrees as the mission trailer of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Virginia pulled into the parking lot of Effort Baptist Church in Palmyra, Va., on June 9. Filled with 350 boxes packed by…
Roanoke Baptist walks to honor exceptional student and organ donor
ROAKOKE, Va. — For Shirley Young, finishing the race is part of keeping the faith. At 84, she’s walking in “Run With Grace” to honor a friend who died before she could finish her own races. Grace Lovegrove donated four…