Heritage Column for May 19, 2005 By Fred Anderson Recently this columnist presented in the same weekend two portrayals of Elder John Leland, the noted 18th-century Virginia Baptist minister and spokesman for religious liberty. One was for the new First…
The sabbatical
Heritage Column for May 26, 2005 By Fred Anderson Miss Cora O'Kelley was my eighth-grade geography teacher. She was prim and proper and wore a cameo at her neck. She was soft spoken. And for a 13-year-old boy, she seemed…
Church & People News for May 26, 2005
Staff Changes Alan Stanley, to Christ Church, Manassas, as pastor. Todd Higginson, resigning as pastor of Boulevard Church, Richmond, to accept the call as resident minister intern at Franklin Church, Franklin. Steven R. Gibson, to Franklin Church, Franklin, as…
The spiritual ‘Vietnam Syndrome’
Another View for May 19, 2005 By Erich Bridges The 30th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War brought countless replays of the news footage showing American helicopters lifting off from the roof of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon…
Health insurance is great – when you’ve got it
Guest Editorial for May 19, 2005 By Robert Parham “How much do you think this bottle of pills costs?” asked my wife, several days after I had returned home from a month in the hospital for the treatment of acute…
Some megapulpits face transition, while others struggle
Analysis for May 26, 2005 By Greg Warner Two more Baptist megachurches are venturing into mostly uncharted waters-replacing legendary preachers-where success has proven rare. Jerry Vines announced May 1 he will retire next February as pastor of the 28,000-member First…
Revised CBF partner plan raises cap to 25%, increases ‘identity’ schools
ATLANTA (ABP) — Institutions and ministries partnering with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship potentially could receive more funding than recently proposed, and the number of theological schools eligible for the maximum financial support could be greater than previously announced, judging by…
Ga. Supreme Court rules against Shorter in dispute with Baptist convention
ROME, Ga. (ABP) — The Georgia Supreme Court ruled May 23 that Shorter College trustees acted improperly when they shifted ownership of the college to a newly created foundation with a self-perpetuating board and essentially broke ties with the Georgia…
Supreme Court to hear case on abortion notification
WASHINGTON (ABP) — The U.S. Supreme Court agreed May 23 to hear its first major abortion case since 2000 — even as the court's ideological divide hangs in the balance in the Senate. The case concerns two major issues. The…
Church in military town caters to ‘temporarily single parents’
BELTON, Texas (ABP) — Family ministry at First Baptist Church in Belton, Texas, includes helping meet the needs of a special breed of single parents — military spouses from nearby Fort Hood who function in that role temporarily. When a…
Departing troops also need support, say airport chaplains
DALLAS (ABP) — Warm welcomes for returning American troops have become familiar sights in some airports. But departing troops need more spiritual care, say some who are trying to meet that need. “On the welcome side, the USO, the families…
Returning soldiers need listeners, long-time chaplain says
ROSWELL, Ga. (ABP) — Ministering to soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan can be as simple as a conversation and a cup of coffee, according to a long-time military chaplain. Battle takes a toll on soldiers, said Bob Vickers, former…