Baptist News Global

What has Hobbiton to do with Jerusalem?

Bible Belt Christians have struggled long with literature and film espousing a view of reality that confronts the values of our Christian life. In general, if a book or movie challenges what generally are perceived as Christian values or morals…

March 9: A significant Sunday for three Virginia Baptist churches

RICHMOND — On the same day, First Baptist Church of Richmond called Jim Somerville as pastor, Second Baptist Church of Richmond installed Craig Sherouse as its pastor, and First Baptist of Newport News said good-bye to its pastor, Randel Everett,…

Kidnapped in Guatemala: Mission trip turns harrowing

It was dark, and they were running behind schedule due to road construction in Guatemala City, but little did a group of eight mission-minded Christians from Grace Baptist Church in Halifax know that would be the least of their worries…

Kessler called to head empowering leaders team

RICHMOND — After the executive committee of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board approved the action, executive director John Upton announced that Kenneth Kessler will join the mission board staff as the team leader of the empowering leaders team. In 2004,…

EDITORIAL: Seeing myself in the Bible

It isn't my practice, and I suspect it isn't your desire, for me to offer in this editorial section a pastoral pontification of some kind. I have ordinarily resisted the temptation to do so. But, during Holy Week, in preparation…

SECOND OPINION: Unity at the expense of truth

In his speech at the recent New Baptist Covenant celebration, John Grisham urged his hearers to spend as much time ministering out in the streets as they do in the church. No doubt this is in many ways an admirable…

A giving life

Iris Brammer loved people. She also loved books and she especially enjoyed bringing people and books together. Maybe such passion helps explain why the public library in Narrows, Va., bears her name. She worked in the Narrows library in Southwest…

OUT LOUD

“A sound theology of creation-care will consider human achievement (building dams, erecting skyscrapers, mining for fossil fuels, etc.) as much a cause for celebration of God's creative purposes as a picnic in a virgin forest.” David Hankins The executive director…

FAITHSHAPERS: Spiritual formation 2: Indoctrination

During the school years, children develop greater ability to focus and sit still, and their brains are developed enough to soak in staggering amounts of information. As preschoolers, children also learn quickly, but they learn primarily through direct experience —…

Study links subprime mortgage crisis to U.S. poverty & hunger

WASHINGTON (RNS) — The poorest counties in the United States are among the hardest hit by the subprime mortgage crisis, according to a study released by the Christian anti-hunger advocacy group Bread for the World. The report, titled “Home Ownership,…

Catholics paid $615 million on abuse claims

WASHINGTON (RNS) — The U.S. Catholic Church paid out $615 million in costs related to sexual abuse claims in 2007, even as the number of victims coming forward fell for the third straight year, according to an annual report issued…

Muslim leader decries American ‘bigotry’

NEW ORLEANS (RNS) — American culture's view of American Muslims and Islam steadily is deteriorating under an onslaught of “bigotry” on cable news shows, newspaper op-ed pages and in the blogosphere, an Arab-American activist said. Commentators and politicians have devoted…

Islamophobia is the next bogeyman

The Black Church cannot remain America’s emergency moral infrastructure

We are manna

Webinar explores religious context of America’s Founders