(ABP) — Establishing small groups within a large church—heralded by some as a remedy to the drawbacks of burgeoning congregation size—is “good medicine,” but not a cure-all, according to a national study by Baylor University sociologists. “Simply having a small-group…
Former youth pastor charged with sexual assault
SANTA ANA, Calif. (ABP) — Prosecutors in California sought public help in identifying possible additional victims of a former youth pastor under arrest on a charge of sexual assault. Joe David Nelms Joe David Nelms, 47, was arrested March 18…
BTSR trustees chart future course
RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) — Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond trustees have adopted a new business plan that calls for "orderly selling" of campus buildings and eventual relocation in order to broaden the seminary's academic mission beyond granting theology degrees to…
BTSR trustees chart future course, plan ‘orderly selling’ of buildings
RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) — Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond trustees have adopted a new business plan that calls for "orderly selling" of campus buildings and eventual relocation in order to broaden the seminary's academic mission beyond granting theology degrees to…
Small groups “catapult” members into larger life of the church and world
ALLEN, Texas — When a Connections class at First Baptist Church in Allen, Texas, began meeting in January a year ago, its diverse membership included a self-proclaimed atheist who attended because he had a friend at church, three unmarried cohabiting couples…
Small groups crucial, but not cure-all
Establishing small groups within a large church — heralded by some as a remedy to the drawbacks of burgeoning congregation size — is “good medicine,” but not a cure-all, according to a national study by Baylor University sociologists. “Simply having…
Bell’s hell draws heat, accusations of heresy from critics of new book
WASHINGTON (RNS) — One of the nation’s rock-star-popular young pastors, Rob Bell, 40, has stuck a pitchfork in how Christians talk about damnation. Bell is pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church, a megachurch in the Grand Rapids, Mich., area. His…
What would Niebuhr do? Legacy of preeminent theologian is debated
PRINCETON, N.J. (RNS) — What happens when the contested legacy of America’s most famous 20th-century theologian meets the harsh political realities of the 21st? You end up with questions like whether Reinhold Niebuhr would support water-boarding. It’s impossible to know…
FAITH DIGEST
Airline apologizes to Orthodox Jews. Alaska Airlines issued an apology for misinterpreting the devotional behavior of three Orthodox Jewish men on a flight from Mexico City to Los Angeles. The men had strapped on tefillin—black leather bindings and boxes worn…
RIGHT or WRONG?
Candidates broke records for campaign spending last fall. This seems like a terrific waste of money, especially all the attack ads. If you could take all that money and channel it to gospel causes, how would you spend it? Look…
Small groups crucial, but not cure-all
Establishing small groups within a large church — heralded by some as a remedy to the drawbacks of burgeoning congregation size — is “good medicine,” but not a cure-all, according to a national study by Baylor University sociologists. “Simply having…
McLaren, Mohler trade barbs on Rob Bell’s book
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Controversy over Rob Bell's new book Love Wins has rekindled an old feud between a Southern Baptist leader and a pioneer in the "emergent" or "emerging" church. Brian McLaren Brian McLaren — author, pastor and innovator…