Editor’s note: This story was updated after posting to add comments from First Baptist Church. By Bob Allen A woman who advocates on behalf victims of clergy sex abuse says she was sidelined by her Houston mega-church for planning an…
With new partnerships, Bluefield College aims to better equip ministry leaders
BLUEFIELD, Va. — Bluefield College is partnering with the Christian Leaders Link and the Network for Theological Education to train and better equip ministers and laypersons for more effective ministry and leadership in churches and communities. The college signed agreements…
SBC baptism, membership numbers fall
By Bob Allen Annual baptisms in Southern Baptist churches have declined by 100,000 in the last 12 years, last year dropping to the smallest number in 64 years. LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention released figures June 5…
Undeterred by failure of gun control legislation, black pastors launch coalition to address problem
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Black clergy, led by the Progressive National Baptist Convention, have launched a new coalition to fight gun violence, saying they are undeterred by the recent failure of legislation on Capitol Hill and all too aware of the…
Virginia Baptist Foundation awards nearly $100,000 in scholarships to 46 students
RICHMOND — The Virginia Baptist Foundation has awarded scholarships totaling $91,500 to 46 students affiliated with Baptist General Association of Virginia churches. During its sixth annual recognition ceremony May 19, the foundation presented the scholarships to the students, representing 49…
Latest BGAV compendium of statistics and resources released for download
RICHMOND — A list of churches affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia and their staff members is among the information included in the 2012 Virginia Baptist Annual, just released by the Virginia Baptist Mission Board’s communications office. The…
OPINION: A clean, well-lighted place
My 15-year-old son has taken to introducing me as a “retired pastor.” It’s hard to shake loose of that title for me, too. It’s probably because being a pastor is more of an identity than a job, more a personality…
Volunteers sought for twister recovery
By Jeff Brumley Cooperative Baptist Fellowship officials in Oklahoma say they are prepared to handle visiting, short-term volunteer groups to help with tornado cleanup and recovery. Based at First Baptist Church in Norman, Oklahoma CBF Disaster Response has already hosted…
Baylor receives record gift
By Bob Allen An El Paso businessman has donated $35 million to Baylor University, reportedly the largest gift by a living alumnus in the history of the Baptist-affiliated school in Waco, Texas. The gift by Texas oilman Paul Foster will…
White House holds mental health confab
By Bob Allen President Obama asked the private sector and nonprofit organizations – including houses of worship and other faith-based institutions – to join the government in a national conversation about mental health in the United States during a daylong…
Thin silver band reminds teens to make healthy choices, say organizers of abstinence movement
SPARTA, Va. — Over 90 teenagers in the Caroline County, Va., area are wearing a thin silver band. Someday they hope it will be replaced by a wedding ring. In the meantime the silver band serves as a reminder of…
REFLECTIONS FROM NEW YORK: Imagining new places
Moving into new places presents a unique challenge to imagine and re-imagine our past lives in relation to the present locations in which we find ourselves. Walter Rauschenbusch, the late 19th-century and early 20th-century pastor, church historian and social gospel…