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…
Christ, Valentine heroes of Baylor prof
By Daniel Wallace Christian ethics is close to Roger Olson’s heart, he says, because it was close to Jesus’ heart. In fact, the Baylor University theologian and ethicist adds, Christ was as much about showing how to live a godly…
Contraceptive mandate opt-out expanded
By Bob Allen 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…
Church loses second minister
By Ken Camp Jim Gray, 68, associate senior adult minister at First Baptist Church of Woodway, Texas, near Waco, was killed Jan. 30 in a head-on crash as he drove to the church for Wednesday night services. The accident happened…
Chick-fil-A flap didn’t hurt profits
By Bob Allen Last summer’s uproar over Chick-fil-A head Dan Cathy’s defense of the company’s support for organizations opposed to gay marriage didn’t hurt the company’s bottom line. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the fast-food giant took in $4.6 billion…
OPINION: Not afraid of kangaroos — Fear-based decision making
At my house, we love to play games. My son, at 3 the youngest member of our family, will play games until he literally falls asleep sitting up. He has a few favorites: Granny’s House, Chutes and Ladders, Uno, Trouble…
American Baptists laud ‘Gang of 8’ plan
By Bob Allen American Baptist leaders tasked with ministry to immigrants and refugees welcomed a bipartisan framework unveiled by eight senators being called the “gang of eight” for their public effort to get the ball rolling on legislation to rewrite…
Church security after Sandy Hook
By Jeff Brumley The Sandy Hook school massacre terrified parents nationwide and sparked a debate on gun control and school security. But it’s also led to some soul searching on church staffs worried about how to best protect worshipers and…