Baptist News Global

LEADERSHIP LINK: Many communication channelsâ€”good problems?

Have you noticed that the more your church grows, the harder your leadership task becomes? In fact, your leader challenges are much bigger than sheer numbers. Here’s the ministry background. Communication channels—the connective tissue for groups—keep leaders connected to others….

FaithVillage.com â€” Real community in online reality

LANO, Texas—The future of electronic communication for evangelical Christians appears crystal clear to Brad Russell. “Picture a vibrant community of Christians, including leaders, artists, thought-shapers and culture-makers,” Russell describes. “They’re online together—expanding their faith, deepening their relationships and fulfilling their…

Drowning in debt: Scripture offers warnings about potential perils of debt

The Federal Reserve reported American consumer debt reached $2.5 trillion last December, and there’s no indication it has dropped significantly since then — or that Christians are immune. Stewardship sermons aside, many American Christians find themselves drowning in debt. Some…

Biblical teaching goes deeper than fund-raising appeals, consultant says

People perish without vision, and so do congregations. But churches may suffer when doctrine-deprived members only hear about vision within the context of fund-raising appeals, said Jeff Anderson, founder of Acceptable Gift and author of Plastic Donuts: A Fresh Perspective…

Pastors of racially-mixed congregations believe over time homogeneity will become the exception

ATLANTA (ABP) — Park Avenue Baptist Church in Atlanta is considered by some a hopeful sign that Sunday may soon no longer be the most segregated time in America. A dwindling, all white congregation eight years ago, the church is…

Churches benefit in tough times from proper preparation in good times

When it comes to finances, bad things sometimes happen to good churches. Natural disasters occur. So do instances of theft and vandalism. Local layoffs or a national economic downturn can affect giving drastically. Good stewardship demands churches prepare for financial…

Should churches see debt as burden or tool for expanding ministry?

Increasingly, churches provide money-management seminars that offer participants advice on how to get out of debt and stay that way. But should churches themselves follow the same advice and principles as individual consumers? Is church debt ever acceptable? Dave Ramsey…

Racism should be test of fellowship, says prof

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (ABP) — A Southern Baptist seminary professor says the Southern Baptist Convention should withdraw fellowship from a Mississippi congregation if it doesn’t discipline a minority of members who managed to block an African-American couple from getting married at…

Black churches split over support for Obama and resistance to endorsing gay marriage

(RNS) — At Charity Missionary Baptist Church in North Charleston, S.C., Nelson B. Rivers III supports and follows his African-American congregation’s policy: They will only conduct marriages between one man and one woman. But the vice president of the NAACP…

OUT LOUD

“As hard as we work to try to convince the rest of the world that Mississippi has changed —and, in fact, we have — to see an unfortunate situation like that occur is very disappointing.” Phil Bryant The governor of…

TRENDING: The future of creativity, part 2: Against brainstorming

Jonah Lehrer’s Imagine: How Creativity Works makes an appealing case that the future of imagination and creativity will emerge from groups rather than from solitary genius. But before you leave the solitude of your study for a table of six at…

Team named to address Calvinism in SBC

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) — Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee president Frank Page has announced the members of an advisory team who will help him craft a strategic plan to bring together various groups within the convention who hold different opinions…

Mohler again claims same-sex marriage harms children

Dan Patrick reiterates: ‘No separation of church and state’

Baptists know better than this

Judge bars Tennessee from revealing immigration status of sick children