RICHMOND, Va. — For the former chaplain at Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women, Lynn Litchfield, the past few weeks have been heartbreaking. Seven years ago, when Teresa Lewis was sentenced to death and sent to FCCW, Litchfield began praying for…
VIRGINIA BAPTIST FORUM: Proposal for Ground Zero
A great use of the 9-11 site in New York would be a seminary for training leaders of all the religions of the world (rabbis, imams, ministers, monks, etc.). Perhaps this could be done by Columbia or some other university,…
VIRGINIA BAPTIST FORUM: Keep state control of alcohol sales
Concerning Virginia selling its ABC stores, I regret that my friend Dan Pope evidently does not understand the basic law of merchandising, which is “the greater the distribution of the product, the greater the sale of that product” [“State should…
VIRGINIA BAPTIST FORUM: Pot calling the kettle black
Dear Aunt Ida, I was appalled and somewhat embarrassed to open up my copy of the Religious Herald of Sept. 2 and see a private e-mail that you had sent to your nephew, Jimmy, plastered across page five of that…
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….
EDITORIAL: When all is said and done, there’s a lot more said than done
Last month, the Barna Research Group called 1,000 American adults to ask them about their faith. Specifically, they asked, “Has anything related to your religious beliefs, practices, or preferences changed in the past five years?” The results, which they claim…
Candidates endorsed for BGAV office
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Baptists Committed, a moderate advocacy group, has endorsed the candidacies of two previously announced nominees for offices of the Baptist General Association of Virginia. VBC members voted Sept. 16 to endorse Bob Bass, a Richmond layman…
BGCT board declines proposal to alter messenger-challenge process
DALLAS (ABP) — Procedural and constitutional concerns prompted the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board to reject a study committee’s proposal to change how the BGCT handles messenger-seating challenges at its annual meeting. At the 2009 BGCT meeting, Kyle…
Okla. church latest in effort to test boundaries of tax law, politics
WASHINGTON (ABP) — A church-state watchdog group has called on the Internal Revenue Service to investigate a church in Oklahoma for violating a law that prohibits tax-exempt charities from endorsing political candidates. The church is one of the latest in…
Jimmy Carter’s hospital stay extended
ATLANTA (ABP) — Former President Jimmy Carter will spend a second night in a Cleveland hospital after becoming ill Sept. 28 on a book-signing tour. A statement from Cleveland's MetroHealth Medical Center said early Sept. 29 that Carter was "feeling…
Rural Churches: Dwindling population base presents challenges
(ABP) — 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…
Rural Churches: Strong sense of community gives churches new life
(ABP) — America’s rural churches were built upon and grew from a strong sense of community. Although many of rural congregations are in decline now, that community reliance may be the key to spiritual renewal and to thriving ministry. Some…