Increasingly, churches provide money-management seminars that offer participants advice on how to get out of debt and stay that way. But should churches themselves follow the same advice and principles as individual consumers? Is church debt ever acceptable? Dave Ramsey…
OUT LOUD
“The other thing I tell people — because in New York it’s like a total catastrophe, it’s an epidemic — I always say always have a prenuptial agreement. But I won’t say that because you people don’t get divorced, right?”…
Tebow’s gridiron faith
(RNS) Can Tim Tebow do no wrong? Michael Butterworth of Bowling Green State University has turned his attention to sports media coverage of Tebow, an evangelical Christian and New York Jets quarterback. The author of a forthcoming article in the…
Racism should be test of fellowship, says prof
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (ABP) — A Southern Baptist seminary professor says the Southern Baptist Convention should withdraw fellowship from a Mississippi congregation if it doesn’t discipline a minority of members who managed to block an African-American couple from getting married at…
OPINION: Purifying the source
The recent YouTube clip denigrating Muhammed can’t really be called art or legitimate film in my opinion, but the questions surrounding it about responsibility are particularly interesting to me. What is the responsibility of the artist? I do not believe…
LEADERSHIP LINK: Larry Leader’s favorite sin
Larry’s driving his truck to his company’s work site for the day, mentally reviewing his to-do list. Then, from the radio tuned to Country K93, Kenny Chesney’s voice preaches the gospel to Larry: “It’s always your favorite sins that do…
Black churches split over support for Obama and resistance to endorsing gay marriage
(RNS) — At Charity Missionary Baptist Church in North Charleston, S.C., Nelson B. Rivers III supports and follows his African-American congregation’s policy: They will only conduct marriages between one man and one woman. But the vice president of the NAACP…
VITAL SIGNS: Boundaries 101
The headlines are relentless. I wince every time I hear of a minister violating sexual or moral boundaries. I listen sadly as clergy describe unrealistic demands placed upon them by their congregation. Over the years I have seen the great…
LEADERSHIP LINK: Are you sure you want to grow?
If deacons were surveyed, they would almost universally say they want people to join their churches. After all, reaching new people is one of our basic tenants as Baptists. We give much effort and even more lipservice to reaching new…
OUT LOUD
“As hard as we work to try to convince the rest of the world that Mississippi has changed —and, in fact, we have — to see an unfortunate situation like that occur is very disappointing.” Phil Bryant The governor of…
WINN RECOMMENDS
Noticing God, Richard Peace (IVP) The noise in our world is incessant, relentless. The clamor during November every four years hits a new fever pitch. Amid all the ominous drumbeats, Peace invites us to notice God all around us, in…
WINN RECOMMENDS
Noticing God, Richard Peace (IVP) The noise in our world is incessant, relentless. The clamor during November every four years hits a new fever pitch. Amid all the ominous drumbeats, Peace invites us to notice God all…