William Webber recently visited the church which bears his name in Chesterfield County. He probably was a bit uncertain of the reception he might receive; after all, the last time he came to Chesterfield he was arrested and jailed simply…
From the Eastern Shore to Cumberland Gap
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…
Liberty and Justice: Church-state lines can blur when disasters strike
RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) — Responding to disasters with immediate and long-term assistance has become a well-established practice of American religious groups — including Baptists, who frequently are almost as visible following devastating earthquakes and hurricanes as the Federal Emergency Management…
Liberty and Justice: What is the future of U.S. religious liberty?
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Since colonial days, each new generation of Americans has had to face new challenges to religious freedom. From dissenters like Roger Williams fighting established state churches to perceived threats to the Protestant establishment posed by Catholic immigration…
Liberty and Justice: Churches, ministries and employment law
WASHINGTON (ABP) — One characteristic of the robust religious freedom Americans enjoy is that the government doesn’t control the church nor the church the government. But that doesn’t mean churches are lawless zones. While houses of worship and other nonprofit…