This month, women pastors in Baptist churches across the nation will celebrate their role in the pulpit and for many — like Bailey Nelson Edwards, senior pastor of Flat Rock Baptist Church in Mount Airy, N.C. — the annual Martha…
HERITAGE: ‘Free Indeed’ — Year two
“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 3:36) Throughout 2012 and now in 2013, Virginia Baptists have been engaged in the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation through a landmark exhibit which continues…
Ravens or Niners? Christians face a ‘Super’ dilemma
(RNS) — Who should Christians root for in Sunday’s Super Bowl: the Baltimore Ravens or the San Francisco 49ers? It may be a silly question to some, though not to millions of American believers who invest a lot of faith…
OUT LOUD
“Evangelicals sat on the sidelines in the civil rights discussions but we must not this time!” Bill Hamel The president of the Evangelical Free Church of America made a statement supporting an “immigration prayer challenge” to encourage Christians to support…
LEADERSHIP LINK: Deacon ministry to the homebound
Among those church families most needing ministry are those who can leave their homes only with difficulty. These “homebound” members often find their worlds have shrunk to their immediate surroundings and are sometimes desperate for human contact and news of…
LEADERSHIP LINK: The family needing ministry most may be your own
“Servants in the church are to be committed to their spouses, attentive to their own children, and diligent in looking after their own affairs.” (1 Tim. 3:12, The Message) In the list of deacon qualifications (1 Timothy 3:8-13), Paul makes…
VITAL SIGNS: Staff-led or staff-controlled?
One of the key predictors of strong congregational health is the type of leadership the ministerial and paid staff of a congregation offers. When the staff of a congregation functions out of strong spiritual and organizational health, the entire faith…
OUT LOUD
“Worshiping communities that pay attention to the waxing and waning that we find in Scripture … are the healthier for it.” Richard Wilson The professor of Christian theology at Mercer University in Macon, Ga., was discussing the value of following…
WINN RECOMMENDS
The Evolution of Adam, by Peter Enns (Brazos Press) In the area of human origins, the theological debate currently brewing is over whether or not the creation story demands a literal, historical Adam and Eve (verses Adam and Eve as…
TRENDING: Lessons from Argentina, part 1: Bilingual
Hola mis amigos, ¿cómo estás? I’ve returned from study leave, much of which I’ve spent learning Spanish and living with some wonderful Argentine Baptist friends. “Why?” you say. First, because Argentina is awesome — have you ever heard of dulce…
Ravens or Niners? Christians face a ‘Super’ dilemma on Sunday
(RNS) — Who should Christians root for in Sunday’s Super Bowl: the Baltimore Ravens or the San Francisco 49ers? It may be a silly question to some, though not to millions of American believers who invest a lot of faith…
‘Mixed economy’ of existing and new forms of church needed to impact culture, N.C. leaders told
GREENSBORO — About 80 percent of North Carolina’s 9.7 million people don’t attend church and reaching them will require a “mixed economy” of both existing congregations and new forms of church, a group of Baptist leaders was told Feb. 1….