To understand today’s SBC, listen to history

Across America this week, Baptist women are carrying a familiar weight. Some are pastors who have faithfully answered the call of God, only to watch the Southern Baptist Convention debate whether God possibly could have called them. Some are seminary...

Opinion Braxton Wade

Featured

VBMB offers refersher for disaster relief

Attention trained disaster relief volunteers: If you … • Have already attended a general orientation session; • Have been trained in one or more particular disciplines and; • Have a disaster relief photo ID badge that has expired or will…

Disaster kitchen volunteers complete mission in Southwest Virginia counties

APPALACHIA — After cooking more than 4,400 meals from Dec. 22 through Dec. 30, the Virginia Baptist Mission disaster relief kitchen has shut down and volunteers are heading home. Volunteers clean up after serving meals. Members of Tennessee and Virginia…

Accused parents say son’s faith-healing death was no crime

PORTLAND, Ore. (RNS) — Two parents charged with criminally negligent homicide in the faith-healing death of their teenage son will ask a judge to dismiss the charges because they followed the advice of state child welfare workers. Attorneys for the…

BGCT takes action against church suspected of affirming gays

DALLAS (ABP) — The Baptist General Convention of Texas said March 17 it was asking Royal Lane Baptist Church in Dallas to remove mention of its affiliation with the state convention from church publications and would hold any funds received…

Mercer program teaches church members to deliver end-of-life care

ATLANTA (ABP) — The nursing school of a Baptist university in Georgia has taken on a mission beyond its walls: To teach people in local churches how to care for loved ones as they face the ends of their earthly…

Nigerian Baptist leader says clashes political, not religious

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (ABP) — A Nigerian Baptist leader says politics is the driving force behind recent religious massacres and riots in central Nigeria. Solomon Ishola "Religion is being used as a veneer or as a front or cover in…

Most church websites ineffective, technology firm’s study finds

DIDCOT, England (ABP) — Churches, by and large, still haven’t entered the digital age when it comes to evangelism — but those who have are reaping huge rewards, according to a new survey. A poll conducted by Christian technology company…

SECOND OPINION: Less revenge, more forgiveness

‘Revenge is the rage at the movies,” proclaims The Wall Street Journal. Well, there’s a surprise. The WSJ notes that revenge, retribution and retaliation are served up (with heaping helpings of violence, naturally) in a trio of recent releases: Edge…

OUT LOUD

“When people have the opportunity to study the Bible, we see it transforming our views toward immigrants … We see we are called to love the stranger. We pray our country will have the courage and do it now.” Galen…

Peace-bearing is theme of Baptist Heritage Center’s essay contest

RICHMOND—Peace-bearing is the theme of the Roots & Wings: Young Scholars Essay Contest for 2010, which is sponsored by the Center for Baptist Heritage & Studies. The contest is open to Virginia Baptists who are high school students in the…

FIRST PERSON: God’s little surprises

BELMOPAN, Belize — I never dreamed that I would perform my first baptisms in the Caribbean Sea. Nor did I imagine that a mission trip to Belize to work with children would offer such an opportunity. But that’s exactly what…

HERITAGE: Oysters and Baptists

This month is the centennial of an important event. Exactly a century ago, on Feb. 8, the trustees of Richmond College (now the University of Richmond) met to consider relocating the school from its campus located close to the city…