RICHMOND, Va., (ABP) — Ties between the Baptist General Association of Virginia and Averett University, already strained from a dispute last year over homosexuality, suffered another setback when one of the school's student organizations hosted a gay pride week on…
Karen Watson: Christ’s joyful bride
Guest Editorial for March 17, 2005 By Erich Bridges It's been a year since they died at the hands of nameless killers in northern Iraq. On March 15, 2004, five Southern Baptist humanitarian workers were driving back to Mosul after…
Innocents abroad
Heritage Column for March 17, 2005 By Fred Anderson Last week this column told about the many Virginia Baptists who attended the first Congress of the Baptist World Alliance, which was held in London in 1905, and the large contingent…
Church & People News for March 17, 2005
STAFF CHANGES • Joel Bradberry, to Black Creek Church, Mechanicsville, as pastor, effective April 3. • Charles Peterson, to Cheriton Church, Cheriton, as pastor. • Karl Hrebik, to Crooked Run Church, Culpeper, as pastor. • Dan Ficklin, to Tuckahoe Church,…
BWA leaders report revenue increase
Leaders of the Baptist World Alliance heard a positive financial report during a meeting of the group's executive committee March 7-9 in McLean. Despite large reductions in the group's budget over recent years-including a $425,000 annual loss as a result…
Evangelicals broaden agenda during meeting
Global warming and other environmental problems have emerged as the most controversial issues within a national coalition trying to broaden the agenda of evangelical Christians. At a Capitol Hill forum March 10, the National Association of Evangelicals formally unveiled a…
Christians aim to expand definition of ‘values’
Hundreds of Christians assembled March 11 for a weekend gathering attempting to protest and broaden the values agenda of President Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress. The four-day Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice was sponsored in part by…
Templeton prize goes to bridge builder
Charles Townes, a Nobel laureate who helped invent the laser and was an early pioneer in merging science and religion, has won the 2005 Templeton Prize and the more than $1.5 million that comes with it. “Charles Townes helped to…
Texas Baptists to produce BWA Bible studies
BaptistWay Press, the publishing arm of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, will produce the Bible study materials for this summer's Baptist World Alliance Centenary Congress in Birmingham, England. The Texas publisher replaces LifeWay Christian Resources, the publishing arm of…
Du Plessis elected in Richmond association
Peter L. du Plessis has been elected missions team leader for the Richmond Baptist Association. Du Plessis was elected to the position, which is the equivalent of director of missions, at a special called meeting of the association on March…
Research and humor grow huge flock
By Chris Meehan Bill Hybels stepped onto the stage at Willow Creek Community Church to give a sermon on money management. But the senior pastor of this trend-setting, Chicago-area congregation was not offering a fund-raising message asking the faithful to…
Miller named Eagle Eyrie director
Rod Miller had been named director of Eagle Eyrie Baptist Conference Center. Miller, who has been acting director of Virginia Baptists' conference center near Lynchburg since September 2003, was elected by the Virginia Baptist Mission Board's executive committee during its…