Many churches roll out the red carpet for CEOs they expect to see just twice a year — Christmas and Easter Only worshippers. But others wonder, “If we treat CEOs like VIPs, why are they AWOL most of the time?”…
New proposed rules by Obama administration would exempt non-profit religious employers
WASHINGTON (ABP) — The Obama administration proposed a broader opt-out Feb. 1 for religious organizations that object to mandated coverage of contraceptives in employee health care plans, an effort to alleviate religious-liberty concerns behind a number of lawsuits challenging the…
Secession theology runs deep in American religious, political history
WASHINGTON (RNS )— Corruption has gone too far. The righteous must break away. Hope now rests with a holy remnant that will honor foundational texts. The message sounds familiar. A church schism? No, mounting calls for secession from the United…
Baptism ages are dropping in churches which practice believer’s baptism, say observers
(ABP) — Something just clicked for Charity Roberson when she knew it was time for her to be baptized. Roberson, now pastor at Sharon Baptist Church in Smithfield, N.C., was 9 at the time. Some of the memories are vivid….
Video recalls ‘forgotten’ Pearl Harbor
(ABP) — President Franklin Roosevelt’s description of the Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese attack as “a date which will live in infamy” went down in history, but Yosh Nakagawa remembers another day – Feb. 19, 1942. That’s when FDR, in an…
Faith leaders want Americans to pray for collegiality in D.C.
WASHINGTON (RNS) — At a time when the ideals of compromise and collegiality seem like a distant dream in the nation’s capital, an unusually diverse coalition of religious leaders is asking Americans to pray for civility. “Through daily prayer, we…
Who cares for the caregivers?
By Ken Camp The New Testament commands Christ’s followers to “bear one another’s burdens.” But applying that principle to caregivers—people who shoulder the around-the-clock responsibility for meeting the needs of someone who cannot live independently because of advanced age, illness…
Did I care enough?
By Ken Camp During the five years she served as his caregiver, Sue Strother and her husband, Joe, understood the roles each filled. “He bore the pain. I bore the strain,” she said. Her husband, pastor of North Riverside Baptist…
CBF, American Baptist leaders meet
By Bob Allen Staff leaders of two national moderate Baptist organizations met Feb. 5 in Atlanta to share ideas and discuss present and future partnerships. Pat Anderson, interim executive of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, said the 1,900-church group that separated…
OPINION: Paynter’s election is splendid news for CBF
How is Suzii Paynter’s selection to lead the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship great news? Let me count the ways. Before that, some background: CBF’s executive coordinator search committee nominated Paynter to lead the nationwide Baptist organization. If confirmed by the CBF…
LEADERSHIP LINK: Stewardship in February?
Since the budgets of most churches run concurrently with the calendar year, the middle of February is a good time to check how receipts are tracking with expectations. Are the offerings and the anticipated receipts matching pretty well? If not,…
OPINION: For the walking dead
On Friday, my friend Tori Lane held a benefit to raise money for HEART, a program of healing for victims of sexual assault. As a poet and visual artist, Tori thinks in metaphors and striking images. As a performer, she…