Mapping congregational or community assets to identify and implement new programs and ministries doesn’t necessarily require professional expertise, according to a CBF minister experienced in the practice common in community development work. “It’s really for anybody,” said Jenny Hodge, a…
Historically black Baptist college launches institute to study black-on-black crime
Arkansas Baptist College held a grand opening Aug. 25 for an institute researching black-on-black crime, named in honor of a student slain while helping someone change a tire just off the edge of campus in 2012. The Derek Olivier Research…
Rick Bennett to lead Tennessee CBF
A former member of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s national staff has been tapped to lead the Tennessee CBF, one of 18 autonomous state and regional organizations that relate to the 1,800-church Fellowship. Rick Bennett, pastor of First Baptist Church in…
Key to church reinvention is tapping membership’s creativity, Brooklyn pastor says
Talk about missional. St. Paul Community Baptist Church in Brooklyn, N.Y., and its pastor, David Brawley, have made headlines for their efforts to reach out to, and transform, the communities around them. The congregation lent its muscle to efforts to…
Campaign raises funds for Baptist gathering
A nonprofit organization has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help the National Baptist Convention make up a $65,000 tourism grant lost after an atheist group filed a lawsuit questioning the use of taxpayer dollars to support the group’s annual session…
American Baptist minister remembered as agent of reconciliation
An American Baptist pastor and denominational leader who early in his ministry advocated for justice and reconciliation in his native South Africa in the waning years of apartheid died Aug. 20. Desmond Hoffmeister, 56, senior pastor at Granada Hills Baptist…
Like Gissendaner, Wood case may change hearts on death penalty
Many Americans support capital punishment until they hear a story or meet someone who makes it personal to them, anti-death penalty activist Melissa Browning says. “Everything changes when you see it through the eyes of someone who is personally affected,” said…
Student social media sparks race controversy for Christian school
The headmaster of a private Christian school started by First Baptist Church in Orlando, Fla., said Aug. 25 that he is taking “deliberate steps” to deal with students who created a social media controversy by posting racially insensitive messages on…
American Baptist group affirms children’s home decision to decline donation
American Baptist leaders have issued a statement of solidarity with an Oklahoma charity in the news for refusing to accept a donation given in honor of an atheist group. American Baptist Home Mission Societies released a statement Aug. 25 affirming…
Passion, not money, needed for vibrant young adult ministries, study shows
Younger Americans are abandoning organized religion in ever greater numbers and it’s no shock that churches can’t control the underlying social forces driving that decline. But they aren’t totally powerless, either, says Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi, director of the United Church of Christ’s…
CBF affirms top exec in the process of divorce
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship leaders released statements Aug. 25 affirming the leadership of Executive Coordinator Suzii Paynter in light of her pending divorce.
Baptist children’s home declined gift from atheists, but fund will still benefit the cause
An atheist whose $100 donation to a Baptist charity in Oklahoma was declined has turned the gift into seed money for a GoFundMe campaign fund that now has drawn tens of thousands of dollars and is growing. Matt Wilbourn of…