Please submit transitions — including staff changes, ordinations, anniversaries or deaths — to Barbara Francis. This page will be updated bi-weekly. STAFF CHANGES Mark Childers, to Cave Rock Baptist Church, Roanoke, Va., as interim pastor. Kelsey Cogliano, to First Baptist Church,…
Q&A with John Finley on preserving Baptist history amid COVID-19
Probably one of the last things clergy and lay leaders are worried about right now is history, especially with the ever-present coronavirus looking to overstay its welcome for who knows how long. But John Finley, executive director of the Baptist…
Religious coalition opposes more coronavirus relief for private schools
A broad coalition of religious groups, including three Baptist organizations, has asked the U.S. Senate to avoid using public education dollars to help private schools in the next round of coronavirus relief legislation. The Senate GOP’s HEALS Act would provide…
Website to teach kids the Bible finds new life in pandemic
Wrestling uninterested kids in catechism classes gave Mosongo Osong an idea for a better way to teach children the Bible — but he had no idea how a coming global pandemic would accelerate his vision and take it beyond Catholic…
As Americans with Disabilities Act turns 30, barriers remain
When you think about marginalized communities, who do you envision? Most Americans do not think to include a key group — people with disabilities. This week marks a major milestone for this marginalized community, with the 30th anniversary of the…
Ministry jobs and more
Baptist News Global provides a free listing of ministry-related jobs for Baptist churches, theological institutions and organizations across the United States. Each free posting is for 30 days and is limited to 150 words. Postings may be extended another 30…
Don’t expect churches to return to ‘normal’ after pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic isn’t an event churches can just ride out until everything returns to normal once the coronavirus recedes, Christian thought leaders say. The fact is, there is no “normal” to go back to, said Carol Childress, a Texas-based…
Refugee ministries adapt amid COVID and government slowdown
The ministry of welcoming immigrants and refugees has not ground to a halt during the coronavirus pandemic, but it has changed shape. “Our work hasn’t slowed down at all, even though the government is working to slow down new refugee…
Q&A with Gerry Hutchinson on chaplaincy, COVID and banjoes
Military chaplains typically deploy to combat zones with things like crucifixes, Bibles or menorahs. Gerry Hutchinson, a retired Navy captain, always took a banjo. “I played it in multiple services with the Marines in Afghanistan,” he said. “If I got…
Church dismisses pastor who came out as transgender in Sunday sermon
June Joplin, the Canadian Baptist pastor who came out as transgender in her Sunday sermon June 14, has been dismissed from her pulpit at Lorne Park Baptist Church in suburban Toronto. Member Anne McKye, speaking on behalf of the church’s…
What Now? serves up free COVID guidance for churches
“The program incorporates the unique programmatical, missional and theological orientation of individual congregations, as well as the particular needs of surrounding communities.”
Q&A with Daniel Bonnell on conveying the sacred in modern art
Daniel Bonnell is a contemplative artist who infuses biblical stories with new light. Because of what he sees as the ambiguity in the current moment, he has started painting on paper grocery bags to symbolize poverty of spirit conveying the…