STAFF CHANGES • Darren Meadows, to Cave Rock Church, Troutville, as pastor. • Ed Preston, to Tsena Commocko Church, Providence Forge, as pastor. • Michael Riley, to Hitesburg Church, Virgilina, as pastor. • Wally Newcomb, resigning as pastor of Mountain…
EDITORIAL: If it’s not the kind of liberty you want, it’s not the kind you should offer
Religious liberty is most appreciated by those deprived of it. In 1685 Louis XIV of France revoked the famous Edict of Nantes which had commanded a kind of religious freedom (toleration) for the French Huguenots. “If God preserve the king,…
VIRGINIA BAPTIST FORUM: BGAV vs. SBC
The comments on the Great Commission Resurgence in the June 24th Religious Herald have caused me great concern. John Upton’s opinion, although not as aggressive as Jim White’s editorial, shows an obvious bias against the Southern Baptist Convention. Cooperation among…
Youth Ministry Forum attracts record attendance
RICHMOND, Va. — The annual two-day training for Virginia Baptist youth ministers, summer youth workers, youth ministry interns and volunteer youth leaders drew a record 105 participants and faculty to the Virginia Baptist Resource Center in Richmond in May. “Our…
ASK THE ARCHITECT: Town hall meeting builds consensus in congregation
What is this town hall meeting all about? Last month I promised a discussion on the purpose and format for a successful town hall meeting that should be sandwiched between those building committee workshops. Speaking of sandwiches, that is precisely…
Bluefield students serve on mission in South America
BLUEFIELD, Va. — Bluefield College students recently completed a spring mission trip to Peru as part of Virginia Baptists’ greater effort to share the gospel and to build churches in South America. Bluefield students in a town square with Peruvian…
OPINION: July 4 & religious freedom
In our nation’s history much has been said about the separation of church and state. Many interpret Jesus’ comment about a coin with Caesar’s head on it as saying: Here is what you owe to the state and here’s what…
Baptist students at William & Mary use creative means to reach out
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — During last spring’s semester, students in the Baptist collegiate ministries at the College of William & Mary decided to creatively take the spiritual pulse of the campus. They led several campus ministries in an outreach emphasis known…
OPINION: Is the National Day of Prayer a threat to religious liberty?
The title is not a trick question. I ask that you read the following before giving your final answer. Baptists have always been a people of prayer, be it a part of their devotional life or their corporate worship. It…
VITAL SIGNS: Ready for a vocabulary lesson?
Stagnant. Boring. Aimless. Tired. Tepid. What do these words describe? You? Your minister? Your church? Your Sunday school class? Your career? All too often, I hear ministers and parishioners alike using such words to describe all of the above. Far…
OUT LOUD
“Testimony envy may be part of any community, but we evangelicals seem to have a particular bent toward narrative one-upmanship.” Editorial in Christianity Today The magazine was writing after Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary President Ergun Caner lost his post when…
High school students worship, give during YEC in Christiansburg
CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. — On April 23, 280 students and adults representing over 22 churches attended the Christiansburg Youth Encounter at Christiansburg High School. The praise band from Virginia Tech’s Baptist collegiate ministry led students in worship, Bluefield College representatives rallied…