First Baptist Church in Dalton, Ga., has voted to join the 1,400 congregations affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia. The church, which unanimously approved the action June 25, is the second Georgia congregation to join the BGAV. First…
Former mission board worker gets anonymous gift for ailing wife
WACO, Texas (ABP) — Nathan and Fran Porter, former employees of the Southern Baptist Convention's Home Mission Board, have received an anonymous $5,000 donation to help pay for Fran's mounting medical expenses, Porter told Associated Baptist Press June 29. The…
VBMB staff member Hazel Mallory dies
Hazel W. Mallory, 63, a longtime member of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board staff, died June 24 after a battle with cancer. She began her employment career in Richmond with the Equitable Insurance Group and for the past 31 years…
Arkansas Supreme Court overturns state’s ban on gay foster parents
LITTLE ROCK (ABP) — The Arkansas Supreme Court ruled unanimously June 29 that the state's child-welfare agency cannot ban gays from being foster parents. The ban had been the only one of its kind in the nation. The justices agreed…
ANALYSIS: Baptist history on alcohol not totally teetotaling
Question: Why do you always take two Baptists with you when you go fishing? Answer: Because if you only bring one, he'll drink all your beer. Most everybody who grew up in the South has a favorite Baptists-and-alcohol joke, usually…
ANALYSIS: SBC surprise not a coup, but maybe a course correction
With the election of an outsider president who had strong support from reform-minded pastors, the Southern Baptist Convention may be changing in tone. But substantive changes are still a ways off, say denominational observers. While there were surprises, messengers to…
At the front door
Hazel Mallory died Saturday, June 24, from cancer. Her funeral was on Wednesday, June 28, at Hatcher Memorial Baptist Church in Richmond. For 31 years Hazel Mallory sat at the front door of Virginia Baptist life. As the administrative assistant…
EDITORIAL: Aunt Ida’s witnessing technique
Dear Jimmy, Since its been a spell since I've written, and since your Uncle Orley ain't around to distract me, I figured I'd drop you a line or two. Orley has gone with some of his farmer friends over to…
Rejected
In the May 4 issue of the Herald there was an insert, Caring Times, from the Virginia Baptist Children's Homes and Family Services which I enjoyed very much. I am glad these homes exist for the children, both Baptist and…
CBF participants focus on future at 16th gathering
With a call to minister to “a world in need,” the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship began its 16th year by appointing 19 mission workers, welcoming a new missions coordinator, adopting a $17-million budget and contributing $32,801 to a special human rights…
Time will tell
Let me be among the first to congratulate you on the straight-talk editorial, “Time Will Tell.” in the June 22 issue of the Herald. You cited four significant lessons learned from the Southern Baptist Convention held in Greensboro: Don't mess…
New CBF missions chief attends Virginia Baptist church
Chalk it up to the oddities of Baptist denominational life at the beginning of the 21st century. Rob Nash, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's new global missions coordinator, has never lived in Virginia — but he's a member of a Baptist…