For the last five years I’ve been immersed in thoughts about the prophetic role of the Church in our world. Part of this fascination is due to the belief that the work of artists inherently holds the opportunity to be…
EDITORIAL: Forward to the past?
In a couple of different settings recently I have heard expressed sentiments that run something like the following: “Why shouldn’t we expect institutions and agencies of Baptist state fellowships, conventions or general associations to be self-supporting? Why should we continue…
OPINION: The power of story-filled conversation
I have received many emails recently from pastors and lay leaders asking the how to move forward in implementing the “ancient-future” type of 21st century Baptist identity I have presented in this column. While the idea of finding our future…
OPINION: Pentecostal power
In the church I grew up in, we used to sing with great fervor: Lord send the old-time power, the Pentecostal power! I never was quite sure what that song was about. I suspect it had more to do with…
OPINION: A new way of being Christian
Three decades ago, the evangelical faithful was galvanized by public debates over abortion, the size of the federal government, the future of the traditional family and religious liberty. Many responded by following divisive leaders into the culture wars with the…
Pastors juggle ministry, motherhood
By Jeff Brumley Mothers’ Day 2012 will dawn with more women than ever in Baptist pulpits. But even those who welcome the trend say the corresponding ascension of the minister mom is creating tensions, too, within families, and the hearts…
Urban churches bloom where planted
By Robert Dilday Committed to “blooming where they’re planted,” these congregations have developed vibrant ministry to their in-town communities. And remaining there is integral to their identity and the way they engage God’s mission. Downtown churches are an idea whose…
Your church has committed to staying put. Now what?
By Robert Dilday Begin with low-hanging fruit. “Start small with block parties, trunk or treats, Easter egg hunts and Valentine’s dances,” said Bill Shiell, pastor of First Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tenn. “Then reflect on your success and build on it….
Clear identity crucial for downtown churches
By Robert Dilday “I think the most important question a congregation can ask is: Who is God calling us to be?” said Beth Kennett of the Center for Congregational Health in Winston-Salem, N.C. “And wherever they are located, they must add to…
Black Baptist leader rebukes Obama
By Bob Allen A pastor who led the Southern Baptist Convention to adopt a resolution in 2009 applauding the election of Barack Obama as America’s first African-American president termed the president’s May 9 endorsement of same-sex marriage a betrayal of…
Pastor moms juggle ministry, motherhood
Mothers’ Day 2012 will dawn with more women than ever in Baptist pulpits. But even those who welcome the trend say the corresponding ascension of the minister mom is creating tensions, too, within families, and the hearts of female pastors….
Baptist school names president
By Vicki Brown Anthony Allen, a 44-year-old administrator at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has been named 17th president of Baptist-affiliated Hannibal-LaGrange University in Missouri. Allen, senior vice president for administration and chief administrative officer at the Southern Baptist Convention seminary…