The excellent editorial in the Jan. 24 issue of the Religious Herald, entitled “Aunt Ida preaches to preachers,” highlighted the profile of most forced terminations. The epidemic is much wider spread than most realize. And the effects are deeper and…
SBCV leader nominated as president of NAMB
After a 10-month search to replace former head Bob Reccord, the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board has recommended Virginian Geoffrey Hammond as its next president. Hammond, 49, is currently senior associate director of the Southern Baptist Conservatives of…
News about Virginia Baptists and their ministries for March 8, 2007
Staff Changes Michael A. Garner, to Dover Church, Manakin-Sabot, as pastor. John A. Budde, to Belle View Church, Alexandria, as pastor. Gary Kingery, to Gethsemane Church, Boones Mill, as pastor. Tom Clark, to Calvary Church, Concord, as intentional interim pastor….
Dean Frazeur says anyone can ‘walk across the room’
Dean Frazeur, pastor of Goochland Baptist Church in Manakin-Sabot, is urging his congregation to “just walk across the room.” Taking his cues from a book of the same name by Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, Frazeur is…
Broken pipe fills Bluefield building with gallons of water
On a cold winter day in February, in the heart of a demanding semester of study, Bluefield College students found themselves just trying to keep their heads above water—literally. That day, Feb. 7, not only BC students, but also faculty…
Bluefield narrows president’s search to seven candidates for interviews
Seven semi-finalists have been selected in the search for a new president at Bluefield College, after an intense review of dozens of applications received for the position since September of 2006. That number will soon dwindle to a projected three…
Richmond area associations create new missions effort
On Sunday, Jan. 28, Baptists from across the Richmond area gathered at Lyndale Baptist Church in Chesterfield County to install Juanita (Nita) D. May as the regional ministries coordinator for Central Virginia Baptist Ministries (CVBM). You say you have never…
Aliens landed at Atlee
It may have sounded like a gathering new-age sci-fi trekkies, but “Alien” was the name given a conference for churches desiring to be innovative in their goal of reaching people with the message of Jesus. The conference was envisioned by…
‘Mainstream’ leaders credit freedom for staying Baptist
A refrain of freedom echoed through a Mainstream Baptist Network convocation in suburban Dallas Feb. 23-24. About 80 participants from across the South gathered for the sixth-annual event. During the session, seven speakers addressed the theme “Why I am still…
FIRST PERSON: On building bridges
Editor's note: Following this article is a brief email exchange between Dr. Rainer and me. When my three grown sons were small children, we would often play with a wooden train. Because they were so young, the boys would sometimes…
EDITORIAL: Some things can’t be ignored
It is a small country church that called as pastor a man they believed was God's choice for them. The members are good, salt-of-the-earth folks. Unsophisticated by intent, perhaps even naïve in their innocence, they believed the “man of God”…
Concerned about IMB
Having gone on record last year in the Religious Herald as being “optimistic” about the potential to be both a Virginia Baptist and a Southern Baptist, I must admit that my optimism is being greatly tested by the actions of…