The committee on Boards and Committees is tasked with the wonderful responsibility of bringing to the Baptist General Association of Virginia a slate of nominees, committed to Christ and Kingdom Advance, to serve on the boards of partnering agencies, schools,…
BGAV REPORTS: Program Committee
The Program Committee is responsible for preparing the order of business for the annual meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia and assuring that worship is emphasized during the meeting. The Committee has chosen the theme, “A Story Worth…
Author, pastor: Old models of church don’t work anymore
WILMINGTON, N.C. (ABP) — Old models of church that view it as a center for multiple programs led by a pastor who shepherds a flock just don’t work in the post-Christendom era, according to an author and pastor. Ronny Russell,…
Unusual prayer meeting proves ministry catalyst for N.C. church
WILMINGTON, N.C. (ABP) — A prayer meeting hosted by a non-church member and featuring speaking in tongues, anointing with oil and the blowing of a ram’s horn might not seem like the typical turning point in the history of a…
Church aims to replicate course-changing experience
WILMINGTON, N.C. (ABP) — Staff members at First Baptist Church in Wilmington, N.C., say their experience at a church conference in Florida helped change their congregation for the better — so they sought to recreate the experience for other churches….
Most pastors oppose endorsing candidates from pulpit
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — Protestant pastors may hold strong political views, but most don't use their pulpits to tell church members how to vote, according to new data by LifeWay Research. The research arm of the Southern Baptist Convention's publishing…
Judge upholds fines against Baptists in Uzbekistan
OSLO, Norway (ABP) — A judge in Uzbekistan refused Oct. 14 to overturn fines against five Baptists convicted of illegal worship, an international news service that specializes in religious freedom coverage reported Oct. 26. Fines totaling roughly 10 times Uzbekistan's…
Baptist missionaries fight cholera outbreak in Haiti
HAUT-LIMBE, Haiti (ABP) — A medical missionary couple in Haiti jointly appointed by American Baptists and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship say they have not yet treated any cholera cases but are focusing on community education and prevention to halt spread…
Virginia Baptist budget proposal for 2011 reflects a 4.6 percent cut
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Baptists will be asked next month to adopt a budget for 2011 that is $650,000 lower than current budget allocations, bringing the spending plan closer to anticipated receipts next year. The proposed 2011 budget of $13,350,000,…
Affinity document could guide Virginia Baptists’ future relationships
RICHMOND, Va. — A document to be considered at next month’s annual meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia could provide a guide for Virginia Baptists’ future, if adopted by messengers. A proposal from an affinity study committee, appointed…
Va. Baptist board approves document to counter ‘revisionist’ view of history
RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia Baptist Mission Board has approved a “2010 History Project” to publish a document to correct “certain influential versions of American history [which] … mistakenly minimize or deny the grounding in this nation’s history of the…
EDITORIAL: Dealing with the anger means dealing with the issues
If, like me, you have been unfortunate enough to hear the barrage of campaign ads, you have probably been distressed by the angry accusations blasted like canon shots back and forth between party lines. It’s enough to cause those of…