The economic crisis in Europe, launched by the calamity in Greece, caused me to realize we are a global economy. What happens anywhere on the planet can affect the whole world, and resources are limited. So, we all need to…
Jimmy Carter discharged from hospital
CLEVELAND (ABP) — Former President Jimmy Carter was discharged Sept. 30 after two nights in a Cleveland hospital for what doctors say was a stomach virus. A joint statement by MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland and the Carter Center in…
British Baptist minister faces sexual-battery charges
FAIRFAX, Va. (ABP) — A former British Baptist minister jailed in Virginia on molestation charges made a court appearance Sept. 23. Robert Dando Robert Dando, former pastor of Worcester Park Baptist Church in Surrey, United Kingdom, is being held without…
Baptist prof and civil-rights advocate dies
WAKE FOREST, N.C. (ABP) — A long-time Wake Forest University religion professor active in the Civil Rights Movement died Sept. 29. McLeod Bryan, 90, is being remembered not only for his own work for peace and justice, but also for…
European Baptist leaders go ahead with plan to move Prague seminary
ROME (ABP) — The elegant complex of 19th-century buildings that houses the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague, Czech Republic, will likely be sold after European Baptist Federation leaders green-lighted a plan to move the seminary as a cost-saving measure….
Rural churches measure growth differently, pastors say
DALLAS — Brand New Church in northern Arkansas and Fairy Baptist Church in Central Texas bear little resemblance to each other. Pastor Shannon O’Dell leads a multi-campus, contemporary-style church in rural Arkansas that draws about 2,000 worshippers in-person from throughout…
Population shifts present challenges for rural churches
CHATHAM, Va. — Rural churches in America face a host of challenges as they seek to continue ministry in their communities. The continued population shift from rural areas to urban centers can drain rural churches, noted Chuck Warnock, an expert in…
Some rural churches see calling in providing a lab for training ministers
WACO, Texas — Rural churches, particularly those within driving distance of a seminary or denominational college or university, often become training grounds for ministerial staff. “Some churches see that as their ministry,” noted Judy Battles, coordinator for pastoral ministries at…
For rural churches, community may be a key to spiritual renewal
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — America’s rural churches were built upon and grew from a strong sense of community. Although many rural congregations are in decline now, that community reliance may be the key to spiritual renewal and to thriving ministry….
Bible study asks, ‘What would Andy do?’ Andy Griffith, that is
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (RNS) — Say a group of immigrants want to build a mosque in Mayberry, right next to All Saints Church. WWAD: What Would Andy Do? The question, of course, never surfaced in the beloved “Andy Griffith Show” that…
Why so many people like ‘Stuff Christians Like’: An interview with Jon Acuff
Jon Acuff is the author of the satirical blog Stuff Christians Like and a book by the same title published by Zondervan. In about two years, Acuff has taken a start-up blog from obscurity to more than 1.5 million readers,…
Berryville church takes ministry into its neighborhood
BERRYVILLE, Va. — Berryville Baptist Church participated in Operation Inasmuch recently as 101 members went into the community to help others and make friends. Pastor Dan Stanley offers a bottle of water to a motorist during Operation Inasmuch. “Sometimes actions speak…