ROANOKE — The Baptist General Association of Virginia has upheld a committee’s decision to end the state association’s affiliation with a church which ordained an openly gay man to the ministry earlier this fall. In the opening session of its…
Sandy overshadows Isaac response
By Jeff Brumley Knoxvillian Kendall McCosh spent the better part of last week providing disaster relief — not in the Sandy-plagued Northeast but in Louisiana, rehabbing homes ravaged by winds and flooding from Hurricane Isaac on Aug. 29. McCosh, a former…
Woven prayers of congregation’s shawl ministry making spiritual impact in church and beyond
MADISON, N.C. — One stitch at a time, the prayer shawl ministry at First Baptist Church of Madison, N.C., has created a network of love and blessing that has touched more than 1,250 people since its modest beginnings six years…
LEADERSHIP LINK: Lessons from a century of preaching
A century of preaching can teach preachers a lot. The two of us have been best friends since college days. When our experience is taken together, we have preached for more than a hundred years now. We became pastors as…
OUT LOUD
“If any religious leaders say tomorrow that the hurricane is God’s punishment against some group, they’re idiots. God’s ways are not our ways.” James Martin The writer for America magazine was tweeting about Hurricane Sandy. (RNS) “Protecting the freedom of…
LEADERSHIP LINK: When callings and choir robes collide
(ABP) — The other day I was remembering my first involvement in a church as an independent adult. My first grown-up church was a big, suburban congregation with a fancy building and lots of fun programming for college students. I…
LEADERSHIP LINK: 10 things deacons would like to say to their pastors
Rightly understood, the relationship between pastors and deacons is one of partnership in the mission of being (and building) the church. The following are statements I have heard deacons make through the years. 1. I need to be clear about…
Baptist scholar aims for ‘loving dialogue and respectful listening’ in Catholic conversations
(ABP) — A U.S. scholar representing the Baptist World Alliance at a recent Vatican gathering of Catholic bishops described his presence as “a moment of historic significance.” “Baptists and Catholics differ on important ecclesial and theological issues but we are…
Virginia interim ministers form network for support
RICHMOND — The newly-formed Virginia Network of Interim Ministers elected officers and regional representatives during an organizational meeting Oct. 18 in Richmond. The network, which will serve as a professional organization for both traditional interim ministers and intentional interim ministers,…
Experts say prayer is top need in tragedy
(ABP) — A deadly, demoralizing bombing in Beirut on Oct. 19 prompted a Lebanese Baptist leader to issue a worldwide call for prayer — and prayer alone. The blast killed eight people, including a high-ranking government official, and wounded an…
Home of former jailed pastor raided
By Bob Allen Police in Azerbaijan have raided the home of a Baptist pastor who served 10 months in prison before winning a pardon following appeals on his behalf from Baptist leaders worldwide, including former President Jimmy Carter. The Oslo-based…
The security of the believer — online
(ABP) — All Christians confess that Jesus is Lord, but he’s a poor choice for a computer password, according to an annual listing of passwords on the Internet most prone to hacking. “Jesus” for the first time made the list…