Baptists have no founder. They have no certain month, day and year of beginning. It is risky at best to find the earliest tender roots of a people who have become one of the world's major religious denominations. Across the…
FAITH DIGEST
ACLU sues over inmate's right to preach. The American Civil Liberties Union has filed suit on behalf of a New Jersey prison inmate who was ordained behind bars eight years ago and now contends his religious freedoms were violated when…
Patterns in denominationalism
With approximately 35 million members and over fifty distinct groups in the United States, Baptists make up the largest and the most diverse American Protestant tradition. This diversity may partly be attributed to theological differences, dissimilarities in worship styles, and…
VIRGINIA BAPTIST FORUM: Disturbing articles
I wonder if anyone else found it disturbing that there were two brief articles, one above the other, on page 7 of the Nov. 20 Religious Herald — one announcing that in our nation's capital ads will appear on buses…
Virginia pastor’s research sheds new light on old Baptist controversy
RICHMOND — The struggle between moderates and fundamentalists for control of the Southern Baptist Convention from 1979 into the early 1990s is often called “the controversy.” Yet it was really just the latest controversy. In 1899, William Heth Whitsitt (1841-1911),…
News about Virginia Baptists and their ministries for January 15, 2009
STAFF CHANGES • Kendell Smith, to Sandy Level Church, Sandy Level, as pastor. • Elizabeth Hagan, to Washington Plaza Church, Reston, as pastor. • Gerald Reeves, to Kentuck Church, Ringgold, as pastor. • Ed Vogt, to Sandusky Church, Lynchburg, as…
Bluefield College matching scholarship program brings more aid to students
BLUEFIELD — Bluefield College has introduced a new scholarship program that will benefit students who come recommended by their local church. As part of a new Church Matching Scholarship Program, Bluefield College will award up to $1,000 to a student,…
Virginia judge gives conservatives legal victory
A Virginia judge ruled on Dec. 19 that three parcels of land belong to parishes that have broken away from the Episcopal Church, handing conservatives an important, if tentative, legal win. An 1867 state law, passed as Virginia congregations separated…
EDITORIAL: Will we blow out the candles or let them burn?
For the most part, I love parties. I'm not talking about political parties. I'd rather not think about those for a while. No, I'm talking about the kind of parties that feature ice cream and cake. And presents. That's why…
HERITAGE: Getting connected
Ann Fitzgerald Brown's family was in the telephone business. Her great-grandfather put in a telephone from his house to his store and a telephone company was started. It was all about people getting connected with one another in the rural…
Happy Birthday, Baptists
Some Christians before 1609 held what many refer to as distinctively Baptist beliefs. Baptists in 1609 practiced believer's baptism, but they didn't immerse. Even so, most church historians agree Baptists emerged as a distinct movement 400 years ago. From their…
SECOND OPINION: Is your church an open door?
The church my family and I attended in my early childhood was always unlocked. In fact, I don't think they even had a key to the door! In this country setting where everyone knew everyone else within several miles of…