BLUEFIELD — One hundred fifty-seven Bluefield College seniors received diplomas and three retired BC professors earned distinguished titles during the school’s 87th spring commencement, Saturday, May 16. President David Olive welcomed the nearly 1,000 family and friends gathered outside in…
‘Build now,’ say construction experts to congregations looking to expand
RICHMOND — Despite the anxiety created by the sagging economy, this is an excellent time for churches to consider building, says Rod Hale, long-time church facility consultant for Virginia Baptists. Church architects agree. Jim Byerly, of Huff Morris Architects in…
Youth minister hurt in bus wreck released from hospital
SHREVEPORT, La. (ABP) — A Baptist church’s youth minister is recovering at home from injuries he received July 12 when the bus carrying his youth group to a Georgia camp rolled over on a Mississippi interstate highway, injuring 23 passengers…
EDITORIAL: How solid is that wall?
Local fire ordinances have curtailed much of the pyrotechnical displays I remember from my childhood, but we will still find ways to celebrate the 4th of July. No doubt, you will, too. Independence Day will also be celebrated in churches…
Oppressed believers view separation of church and state differently from underside
For many Baptists in the United States, the separation of church and state is no more than a historical concept or fodder for the culture wars. For Baptist minority groups in other countries, however, it can be a matter of…
FAITH DIGEST
Childbirth riskier for Jehovah’s Witnesses. Pregnant women who are Je-hovah’s Witnesses are six times more likely to die during childbirth and three times more likely to have serious complications than the general population, a new study reveals. All of the…
Bluefield College hosts teens on a mission to ‘Impact Virginia’
BLUEFIELD — More than 200 youth from Baptist churches across Virginia swarmed the Bluefield College campus June 28-July 4 to make an "impact" on Greater Bluefield through service projects in the community. Virginia Baptist youth repair the roof on a…
U.S. laws chill Muslim philanthropy
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Laws meant to eliminate terror financing are targeting Muslims unjustly, interfering with their right to practice Islam and resulting in a decline in charitable giving, the American Civil Liberties Union has charged. The 166-page report, “Blocking Faith,…
Bluefield College hosts teens on a mission to ‘Impact Virginia’
BLUEFIELD — More than 200 youth from Baptist churches across Virginia swarmed the Bluefield College campus June 28-July 4 to make an "impact" on Greater Bluefield through service projects in the community. Virginia Baptist youth repair the roof on a…
Moderate Baptist leaders urge Congress to pass far reaching climate-change bill
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — A total of 140 moderate Baptist leaders signed a June 18 letter urging passage of a comprehensive energy bill that includes caps on emissions linked to global warming. Drafted by the Baptist Center for Ethics, a…
Transformed lives — not just sobriety — the goal of recovery ministries
Terry Walker fell to his knees in the shower stall of a South Texas substance abuse treatment center, crying out to God for release from the chains of addiction. “God blessed me with the gift of desperation,” Walker said. “At…
Graduation rates at religious schools outpace those at other universities
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Religiously affiliated universities rank the highest nationwide in graduating their students, while hundreds of public and private universities fall far below the low average of graduated students, according to a recent report based on data from the…