Shannon Ethridge thinks too many Christians believe: “Sex is the most scandalous, sinful, shameful thing in the world. So, be sure to save it for someone you love.” Many Christians develop that attitude toward sex due not only to what…
Churches’ silence on sexuality leaves vacuum inevitably filled by society, say pastors and ethicists
Christian ethicist David Gushee understands why many church leaders shy away from open discussions about sexuality. Pastors fear offending members. Diversity of age, values and life experiences among members make consensus difficult. “I would fault churches for their silence on…
EDITORIAL: When the offended become the offenders
Paula Deen just can’t seem to catch a break. Now, I’m not what you would call a big Paula Deen fan. I’ve never eaten at her restaurant. To my knowledge I’ve never even eaten a meal prepared from one of…
Southern Baptist chaplains won’t perform gay weddings, NAMB says
The SBC agency responsible for chaplain endorsement says it won't permit offiicating at gay weddings. ATLANTA (ABP) — The Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board has released guidelines stating that chaplains endorsed by NAMB “will not conduct or attend…
Conference in Washington will raise awareness of plight of Palestinian Christians
WASHINGTON (ABP) — A pastor who ministers among a shrinking Palestinian Christian population in the city where Jesus was born is the scheduled keynote speaker for a Nov. 8-10 conference titled Waging Peace and Justice in Palestine at Calvary Baptist…
Suit: Funeral-protest law applied unfairly
By Bob Allen A Nebraska law that requires protesters to stand 500 feet away from a funeral service is being enforced unfairly to suppress the free speech of a small Baptist church in Kansas that pickets military funerals with anti-gay…
SBC leader confronts ‘gender confusion’
By Bob Allen While gay marriage is now “perfectly OK” with the United States Supreme Court, the Bible labels homosexual acts as “shameful,” the president of a Southern Baptist seminary reminded students and faculty in a chapel sermon Sept. 4….
Former WMUV president Ann Brown to be nominated as BGAV first vice president
RICHMOND — Ann Brown, a Gretna, Va., laywoman widely involved in Virginia Baptist life, will be nominated for first vice president of the Baptist General Association of Virginia — a position whose incumbent for almost a decade and a half…
LEADERSHIP LINK: Make your budget presentation something to remember
By mid-September, most churches have completed their 2014 budgets, or are close to doing so. Weeks, or in some cases months, of analysis and planning have produced a financial plan for spending that will guide ministries and missions in the…
OPINION: What is your role in worship?
What is worship? Just type the word “worship” into Google and a number of definitions appear. Many Baptist congregations understand worship to be the place the church gathers and the gospel is proclaimed for the salvation of the lost. This…
Woman follows her parents into ministry, despite ups and downs of life as preacher’s kid
(ABP) — Now and then, a preacher's kid follows a parent into the ministry. But when the moment of decision came for Leah Anderson Reed, she decided to follow both her father and mother into ordination. Reed, 27, was ordained…
Like parents, like daughter
By Jeff Brumley Now and then, a preacher’s kid follows a parent into the ministry. But when the moment of decision came for Leah Anderson Reed, she decided to follow both her father and mother into ordination. Reed, 27, was ordained last month…