I cannot stand this word and what it represents. I hear it far too often. It represents an attitude that should be banned from local church life. It is the word just. As in, “I’m just a layperson.” Actually, that…
Fatal accident in Bedford County, Va., involved longtime friends, churchgoers
HUDDLESTON, Va. — They had breakfast together, prayed together and shared a few laughs. Then they spent the rest of Saturday morning, Sept. 10, pruning shrubbery, as they regularly did at their small Bedford County church, Mentow Baptist, where all…
Mississippi Baptists back ‘Personhood Amendment’
JACKSON, Miss. (ABP) – The Mississippi Baptist Convention is backing a constitutional amendment facing voters Nov. 8 that would declare a fertilized human egg to be a person, effectively branding abortion as murder. The state convention’s Christian Action Commission endorsed…
CBF finishes fiscal year 15 percent behind budget
ATLANTA (ABP) – The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship ended its fiscal year $2.1 million short of its 2010-2011 budget goal of $14.5 million in total revenues, controller Larry Hurst reported to the CBF Coordinating Council Oct. 21. Anticipating a shortfall, Hurst…
Texas pastors weigh in on Rob Bell controversy
AMARILLO, Texas (ABP) — Two Texas Baptist pastors weighed in on controversy over Rob Bell’s recent book questioning the traditional view of hell in a training session during the Oct. 24-26 annual meeting of the Baptist General Convention of Texas….
Church-state expert said minorities face biggest threats to religious liberty
WASHINGTON (ABP) – An advocate for the separation of church and state told a House panel Oct. 26 that what some Americans regard as imminent threats to religious liberty are in fact attempts to maintain a favored status for the…
Church deemed too Calvinist for Kentucky Baptist association
OWENSBORO, Ky. (ABP) – A Kentucky Baptist association denied membership to a church after a credentials committee found its confessional statement too Calvinistic, according to a report in the Western Recorder. Daviess-McLean Baptist Association voted 104-9 to deny membership to…
HERITAGE: Re-journey
The theme of the annual meeting of the General Association set for Nov. 8-9 in Richmond is “ReJoice, ReClaim, ReJesus.” It is a repetitive use of the prefix which refers to “back” or “again” or “anew.” Hidden within the three…
Cookbook from BGAV churches will provide funding for hunger ministries
There’s always been room at the church table for good food and fellowship. So it seemed natural to assemble recipes from Baptist General Association of Virginia churches to share with each other — and then to literally pay it forward…
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Seeking information on late pastor’s family
In your 13 April 2006 edition I found the notice that retired Virginia Baptist pastor Charles Herbert Morris, husband of Erica Hofmann Morris, passed away in Richmond on March 27, 2006, at age 83. Pastor Morris was the son-in-law of…
Bluefield pays tribute to Appalachian culture with country music exhibit
BLUEFIELD, Va. — Southwest Virginians have an ear for music, and the “Crooked Road Royalty” photo and film exhibit at Bluefield College showcases and pays tribute to the long history of picking and singing in the Appalachian Mountains. The exhibit…
ASK THE ARCHITECT: Worship space guidelines
As the most significant life area of a church, worship space demands a thoughtful understanding not only with regard to the size of the space, but also with regard to its design — particularly as a response to “the way…