This is the ninth in a BNG series of articles on Christianity and democracy that will lead toward the July 4 celebration of America’s 250th birthday. The series has been curated by Carol McEntyre, senior minister at First Baptist Church of...
Many churches celebrate the feast of the Baptism of the Lord on the Sunday following Epiphany (January 6). Since Epiphany falls on Sunday in 2013, this year the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on January 13. This feast is…
By Molly T. Marshall I am spending a week with our seminary students at a Benedictine monastery in northwest Missouri. Not only do we participate in prayer with the monks five times a day, we also study the ancient Rule…
By Bob Allen An evangelical preacher withdrew acceptance of his invitation to pray at President Obama’s inauguration Jan. 10 after coming under fire when an old sermon denouncing homosexuality circulated on the Internet. A day after the White House announced…
By Bob Allen Brandon James Carter, 34, accepted a plea bargain Jan. 9 that sentenced him to less than two years in prison for molesting a 13-year-old girl. He was arrested last March, while serving as youth and music minister…
By Amy Butler The start of the New Year is always a good time to ponder the deeper issues of life, and lately I’ve been ruminating over whether being a pastor and having a life are two mutually exclusive ideas….
As a native of Florida, there is a certain pride and frustration present in a bumper-sticker message we natives desire to send to the many seasonal residents of the sunshine state. The message is simple and straight-forward, “Welcome to Florida,…
By Jeff Brumley Something just clicked for Charity Roberson when she knew it was time for her to be baptized. Roberson, now the pastor at Sharon Baptist Church in Smithfield, N.C., was 9 at the time. Some of the memories…
By Jeff Brumley The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Missouri is no more. Its coordinating council voted last fall to change the name to CBF Heartland, and the change was officially announced today on its web site and Facebook page. Leadership…
