The Virginia Baptist Mission Board and Woman's Missionary Union of Virginia have modified their approach to Co-Missioners, the two organizations' joint missions initiative and education emphasis. Co-Missioners seeks to cast a unified missions vision for Virginia Baptist churches though hands-on…
FIRST PERSON: Filipino pastor’s vision leads him to Virginia
By Dan Carlton and Bob Munson Look at a globe sometime. You will see that it is a long way from the Philippines to Virginia. But distance can be deceiving. When fellow Christians work together for God's kingdom, the other…
Bluefield, VBMB identify church leaders
The emerging leaders team of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board recently spent a day on the campus of Bluefield College, discussing with BC leaders how to identify and train future leaders for churches affiliated with the Baptist General Association of…
Media association honors longtime librarian
The Virginia Baptist Media Library Association honored a longtime church librarian and heard from a national consultant during its fall conference, held Oct 7-8 at Calvary Baptist Church in Portsmouth. Jamie Hughes of Portsmouth was honored for 40 years of…
Pittsylvania names Hudgins as coordinator
Clifton E. Hudgins has been named associational ministries coordinator for the Pittsylvania Baptist Association. Hudgins has been a Virginia Baptist Mission Board staff member since 1997, serving most recently as field strategist for the Ridge and Valley region. He will…
Foundation names Hurst donor relations director
Former pastor Rick R. Hurst has been named director of donor relations of the Virginia Baptist Foundation Inc. Hurst was pastor of the former Weatherford Memorial Baptist Church in Richmond. Hurst has been pastor of churches in Georgia, Kentucky and…
Virginia Baptist disaster relief coordinator Terry Raines is working with other
Terry Raines, who heads disaster relief for the Virginia Baptist Mission Board left for Hungary and Pakistan on Oct. 16. After spending a couple of days in Budapest with Hungarian Baptists planning their work, Terry left for Pakistan. Following are…
Birth control, not liberalism, explains mainline decline, say researchers
The decline of mainline church membership over the last century had more to do with reproduction than theology, according to research by a trio of sociologists. The popular notion that conservative churches are growing because mainline churches are too liberal…
CBF Coordinating Council votes to add ‘Jesus’ to group’s constitution
National leaders of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship voted Oct. 14 to restore explicit references to Jesus deleted from the group's constitution in July. A preamble to the constitution was approved by the CBF Coordinating Council with little discussion and no…
Shocking withdrawal of Miers raises stakes for Supreme Court replacement
WASHINGTON (ABP) — Conservatives breathed a sigh of relief Oct. 27 after the surprise announcement that White House Counsel Harriet Miers had withdrawn her nomination for an open seat on the Supreme Court. But her change of heart — in…
Methodist woman finds ministry home as associate pastor in Baptist church
RUTLEDGE, Tenn. (ABP) — Betty Shirley uses the word “ironic” to explain how she, a United Methodist, became associate pastor of a Baptist church in a small, conservative Tennessee town. Last spring, Shirley was expecting appointment to a congregation within…
Baylor may reduce board size; is it efficiency or more politics?
WACO, Texas (ABP) — Baylor University regents are expected to consider a proposal at their Oct. 28 meeting that would reduce substantially the size of the school's governing board over the next several years — eventually cutting it to less…