To me, this week’s news has been fodder for just about full-on depression. Reports of uncertainty and confusion surrounding Syria alternate with images of Miley Cyrus’s antics at the Video Music Awards, messing with my head a little bit —…
VITAL SIGNS: Are we flying our churches into the ground?
Spatial disorientation is the condition in which an aircraft pilot's perception of direction does not agree with reality. It typically results from flying into poor weather conditions with low or no visibility. Under these conditions the pilot may be deprived…
TRENDING: Attention strategies
In her turn-of-the-century work with Apple and Microsoft, tech veteran Linda Stone was on the front edge of developing new “attention strategies” for living and working in a hyper-connected, always-on world. With the state of “continuous partial attention” now our…
OPINION: Who do we root for?
The news and images coming out of Egypt seem to get bleaker every time the news comes in. The revolution that began in Tahrir Square two years ago with such promise and hope for positives has devolved into a civil…
More Baptists hitting the gridiron
By Jeff Brumley The excitement around Mercer University football, which resumes Saturday after a 72-year hiatus, has been off the charts. Season tickets sold out long ago and the stadium was redesigned mid-construction to add thousands of extra seats. Athletic…
Infants-in-hell question concerns editor
By Bob Allen A Baptist state newspaper editor has questioned whether the report of a Calvinism study committee implies that some high-profile Southern Baptist leaders believe that infants who die before reaching the so-called “age of accountability” are destined for…
NABF retools disaster response
By Jeff Brumley Members of the North American Baptist Fellowship’s Disaster Response Network, meeting in Texas this week, decided on a leadership structure they hope will provide greater continuity and flexibility to the group’s operations. The group also agreed its…
CBF church planter dies
By Bob Allen A Cooperative Baptist Fellowship church planter and adjunct professor at McAfee School of Theology died Aug. 27. Gwen Brown, 59, was founding pastor of Cornerstone Church in Snellville, Ga., which began as a Bible study in her…
Voice teacher’s duet turns out ‘for good’
By Bob Allen A Belmont University graduate and adjunct voice teacher at California Baptist University became an Internet sensation when a YouTube video of her singing onstage with Kristin Chenoweth at the Hollywood Bowl went viral. More than 2.6 million…
Woman admits to embezzling church funds
By Bob Allen The former financial secretary at an Alabama Baptist association pleaded guilty Aug. 28 to stealing from her employer and was then arrested on additional charges claiming she took even more. Tonya Renee Woodward, 52, of Dothan, Ala.,…
CBF leader pushes for immigration reform
By Jeff Brumley Cooperative Baptist Fellowship leader Suzii Paynter ramped up her advocacy for immigration reform Aug. 28 in a conference call with reporters urging Texans in Congress to approve moral legislation that takes into account the economic needs of…
Moderates seek exit from ‘messy middle’
By Jeff Brumley Many are convinced that beyond addressing material and spiritual needs, moderate Baptist churches must become more vocal advocates for “the least of these” in society. Some are forming congregational programs, while institutions like the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship are studying…