By Jim Denison On June 2, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that New York City can block religious groups from using public school facilities for worship services. This ruling is significant far beyond its…
Midway through the Christian Year
By R. Kevin Johnson Our journey through the Christian Year has come to the mid-point. We have heard the words of the prophets who foretold the coming of the Messiah. We witnessed his birth at Christmas. With the Wise Men,…
Celebrate religious liberty, exercise the freedom to worship
By Barry Howard Fourth of July weekend is upon us. Where will you be this Sunday morning? While many of us have appropriate plans in place this weekend to celebrate our nation’s independence with picnics, barbeques, ice cream and fireworks,…
Carrying Rosa
By Meredith Wilkinson In my work in the South Tucson community of Tucson, Ariz., I have many conversations and occasional debates about the plight of migrants who cross our southern borders. In southern Arizona issues related to immigration are anything…
Are you closed?
By Bill Wilson A friend recently shared with me an interesting story. When his church decided to replace its sign out front, it meant that the old one had to come down. For about a week, there was no sign…
It’s my life
By Amy Butler What am I meant to do with my life? What am I called to do? What is the deep and real meaning and purpose of my life — my destiny, the reason I was created in the…
Being a multi-mission partner church
By Barry Howard Multiple mission partnerships seem to be the new norm among many churches, and especially those that network with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. A quick survey of the list of CBF churches indicates that fewer than 10 percent…
CBF and the next 20 years
By Alex Gallimore “College is where you learn that you have a particular past and that it doesn’t have to dictate your future.” These words, spoken by Bill Leonard during his baccalaureate address to graduates of Wake Forest University in…
Call me a Cooperative Baptist
By Barry Howard Trying to come up with an appropriate name for a group of Baptists is like trying to nail Jell-O to the floor. It just keeps jiggling and refuses to be still. Because faith is dynamic and emerging,…
What is a moderate Baptist?
By Barry Howard Recently, as I was preparing the eulogy for our pastor emeritus at First Baptist Church of Pensacola, Fla., I came across a copy of an article from the Dallas Morning News dated December 1992. The column was…
Questions of identity dominate CBF’s 20th anniversary
By Alan Sherouse How does a movement that began in reaction live into a proactive future? It’s a persistent question facing the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship 20 years after its inception. Last week CBF gathered in Tampa to commemorate and celebrate,…
Forgetting to remember
By Bill Leonard Last week we moved Lavelle, my mother, to the Alzheimer’s Care Unit (euphemistically called “Reminiscence Neighborhood”) at her assisted living facility. For the last nine years, two in Texas and seven in North Carolina, she has been…