Let’s continue the thought of last month’s article in which we established the commitment to follow God’s lead first and then identified building program generators. Simply stated, such a program begins when we recognize needs. Any one or more indicators…
Faced with scandal, Haggard’s wife tells why she stayed
Under similar circumstances, many women would have kicked their husbands to the couch. Or the curb. But for Gayle Haggard, the gay sex-and-drug scandal that toppled her husband’s ministry was simply “the mountain we had to go over.” And now,…
EDITORIAL: Opening yourself to the counsel of others
Every pastor goes through rough patches from time to time. It’s part of the challenge of leadership. Even Moses’ congregation occasionally complained about the direction they were taking and voiced their displeasure with the person responsible. There is a certain…
Baptist church damaged in Iraq explosion
FALLS CHURCH, Va. — First Baptist Church of Baghdad, Iraq, was damaged by an explosion Jan. 26 less than a half mile from the church building, according to the Baptist World Alliance. The incident occurred when a suicide bomber drove…
HERITAGE: The last lap
Betty Pugh Mills, his pastor at Grace Baptist Church of Richmond and his chief softball catcher, called him “the king of narrative preaching.” Claude Dollins, a former colleague on the Virginia Baptist Mission Board staff and a long-time friend, called…
Virginia church makes Galveston more livable in hurricane’s wake
GALVESTON, Texas — A team of Virginia college students used their winter break to make a couple of Galveston homes a bit more livable. Virginia Baptist students made this house in Galveston a bit more livable. More than a year…
SECOND OPINION: How do we best help Haiti recover?
How that Haiti is completely wrecked, how does anyone fix it? With tremors still shaking the island nation that has never recovered from its own birth pains, the world’s nations are sending tons of food and barrels of water to…
Swiss aren’t only ones who resist mosque construction
WASHINGTON (RNS) — When Switzerland recently voted to ban construction of minaret towers at mosques, some observers interpreted it as an expression of European xenophobia that never would find a home in multicultural America. But to say it couldn’t happen…
OUT LOUD
“I know some people won’t agree with it, but I think they can at least respect that I stand up for what I believe. I’ve always been very convicted of [his views on abortion] because that’s the reason I’m here,…
All churches in 20 Virginia associations complete ACP
Virginia Baptist leaders are acknowledging the 20 district associations affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia in which all churches completed the 2009 Annual Church Profile (ACP). Leaders also have praised the contact persons who collected the information. Each…
Ministry helps wounded pastors stay in the pulpit
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (RNS) — The 2008 murder of 35-year-old Mashonda Griffin in her home was a blow to her fellow church members — especially when they learned one of the people charged in her death was a former parishioner…
Is forgiveness always appropriate for Christians? Yes, but …
Sermons on forgiveness often emphasize the Lord’s Prayer — “and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” But should Christians always forgive, regardless of circumstances? Is granting forgiveness always appropriate? “Yes, but …,” four Christians…