Growing up in Georgia, I devoured collards, cornbread and the columns by Louie D. Newton in the weekly issues of The Christian Index, the Georgia Baptist newspaper. Newton was a well-known pastor, former editor of the Index, and a denominational…
News about Virginia Baptists and their ministries for November 9, 2006
STAFF CHANGES Ben Munford, to Oak Hall Church, Sandston, as pastor. Kirby Smith, to Oak Forest Church, Chesterfield, as pastor. Jim Graham, to Wallers Church, Partlow, as pastor. Russell H. Dilday, to First Church, Richmond, as interim pastor, effective Jan….
Africa comes to Richmond
Calvin Birch looked from the muzzle of the rifle to the face of the angry man who pointed it at him. He stammered, “I can't just leave her here!” The dead woman in his arms had been hit by a…
Arkansans approve bingo for religious, charitable causes
LITTLE ROCK, Ark., (ABP) — An Arkansas constitutional amendment legalizing charitable bingo and raffles passed Nov. 7, despite the efforts of Baptists to defeat it. Amendment 1, which passed with 69 percent of the vote, will allow non-profit organizations to…
Women at ‘Get Away’ urged to ‘live beyond words’
Over 1,000 women made their annual pilgrimage to Eagle Eyrie Baptist Conference Center for the Women's Get-Away and Rally/Woman's Missionary Union of Virginia annual meeting. There they encountered a movement of the spirit second to none as they focused on…
Dallas church provides teaching ground for young ministers learning the ropes
DALLAS (ABP) — Lying in a hospital bed, Wilshire Baptist Church's pastor emeritus Bruce McIver told a close friend something he'd thought about for a long time. “Two months before he died, we talked about his desire to see more…
Ala. church ejected from association for hiring female associate pastor
An Alabama Baptist church has been ejected from its local association for hiring a female associate pastor—which may be a first of sorts. The Mobile Baptist Association voted Oct. 19 to withdraw fellowship from Hillcrest Baptist Church in Mobile. Associational…
CBF names first coordinator for U.S. disaster response
ATLANTA (ABP) — Charles Ray, a long-time Little Rock, Ark., resident, has been named the first coordinator for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's U.S.-based disaster response team. He'll begin his new position Jan. 1, 2007. The two-year position was created through…
Arkansans pass task force report
Messengers to the 153rd annual meeting of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention approved a ministry task force report that includes recommendations to regionalize executive board ministries, increase the percentage of Cooperative Program funds forwarded to Southern Baptist Convention causes, and…
Supreme Court tackles ‘partial-birth’ abortion again — with 2 new justices
WASHINGTON (ABP) — The man who may cast the deciding vote in the Supreme Court's first major abortion cases in six years tipped his hand little during oral arguments Nov. 8. Justice Anthony Kennedy asked a cascade of highly technical…
New Mexicans see record number
Perhaps more people attended the annual meeting of the Baptist Convention of New Mexico this year than any year since it was founded 94 years ago. The 2006 convention was the first since New Mexico Baptists elected Joseph Bunce as…
South Dakota voters overturn nation’s strictest abortion ban
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (ABP) — Voters in South Dakota overturned the nation's most stringent abortion ban Nov. 7 — 55 percent to 45 percent. Supporters of the ban had hoped to use it to challenge the 33-year-old Roe v. Wade…