WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.—A period of guided spiritual direction is often recommended for Christians struggling with their enthusiasm for discipleship. “There are times when we need help getting unstuck,” said Jayne Davis, minister of spiritual formation at First Baptist Church in Wilmington,…
HeraldBeat
Transitions ON THE MOVE Brandon Ives, to Spring Hill Baptist Church, Ruckersville, Va., as senior pastor, effective June 3. Daniel Pittman, to Parkwood Baptist Church, High Point, N.C., as pastor. Mark Wingfield, to First Baptist Church, Grottoes, Va., as pastor….
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…
Baptists split on NC gay marriage ban
By Bob Allen Some religious leaders hailed North Carolina’s May 8 passage of a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman as a win for family values, while others vowed to continue the fight for what…
Baptists split on NC gay marriage ban
RALEIGH, N.C.—Some religious leaders hailed North Carolina’s May 8 passage of a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman as a win for family values, while others vowed to continue the fight for what they call…
Kentucky Baptists losing 27 staff
By Bob Allen Officials said May 7 that 23 full-time and four part-time employees of the KBC Mission Board accepted incentive packages and will leave their jobs by June 30. With the latest round of cuts, the second in a…