Baptist News Global

Pastor stays out of division reported among jailed Americans in Haiti

MERIDIAN, Idaho (ABP) — As news of dissension among 10 Baptists from the United States jailed in Haiti leaked into media reports, the pastor of five of the volunteer missionaries said his church continues to support and pray for the…

The $21 billion shim

By Jim Denison A piece of steel the size of a postage stamp is making global news. Toyota has been in the headlines for weeks with massive recalls and safety concerns. The company has recalled more than 5.3 million cars,…

Va. Baptist college president suddenly steps down, cuts staff

BRISTOL, Va. (ABP) — Michael J. Puglisi unexpectedly resigned as president of Virginia Intermont College Jan. 25, apparently at the request of trustees of the Baptist-affiliated school. And in what college administrators and trustees said was a move unrelated to…

EDITORIAL: Opening yourself to the counsel of others

Every pastor goes through rough patches from time to time. It’s part of the challenge of leadership. Even Moses’ congregation occasionally complained about the direction they were taking and voiced their displeasure with the person responsible. There is a certain…

HERITAGE: The last lap

Betty Pugh Mills, his pastor at Grace Baptist Church of Richmond and his chief softball catcher, called him “the king of narrative preaching.” Claude Dollins, a former colleague on the Virginia Baptist Mission Board staff and a long-time friend, called…

SECOND OPINION: How do we best help Haiti recover?

How that Haiti is completely wrecked, how does anyone fix it? With tremors still shaking the island nation that has never recovered from its own birth pains, the world’s nations are sending tons of food and barrels of water to…

OUT LOUD

“I know some people won’t agree with it, but I think they can at least respect that I stand up for what I believe. I’ve always been very convicted of [his views on abortion] because that’s the reason I’m here,…

All churches in 20 Virginia associations complete ACP

Virginia Baptist leaders are acknowledging the 20 district associations affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia in which all churches completed the 2009 Annual Church Profile (ACP). Leaders also have praised the contact persons who collected the information. Each…

Ministry helps wounded pastors stay in the pulpit

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (RNS) — The 2008 murder of 35-year-old Mashonda Griffin in her home was a blow to her fellow church members — especially when they learned one of the people charged in her death was a former parishioner…

Is forgiveness always appropriate for Christians? Yes, but …

Sermons on forgiveness often emphasize the Lord’s Prayer — “and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” But should Christians always forgive, regardless of circumstances? Is granting forgiveness always appropriate? “Yes, but …,” four Christians…

Forgive us our trespasses: Christians called to ministry of reconciliation

At age 8, Chris Carrier was abducted, stabbed multiple times with an ice pick, shot in the left temple at pointblank range and abandoned in the Florida Everglades. Miraculously, he survived the ordeal, although the bullet to his head severed…

UCC spokesman says decision to air Tebow Super Bowl ad is ‘arbitrary’

CLEVELAND (ABP) — A spokesman for the United Church of Christ says CBS’s decision to air a purportedly anti-abortion ad featuring Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Tim Tebow during the Super Bowl shows favoritism to some religious viewpoints over others. Focus on…

Supreme Court slides into partisanship

Before the fireworks, be careful what you drink

The contemptible case of Clarence Thomas

The permanent paradoxes of Christian thinking about war