By Kristen Fogg In our wealthy American society the words “back to school” refer to a time of consumerism at its finest. Parents shell out hundreds of dollars buying their children new clothes, new shoes, new backpacks, new notebooks, new…
Top 100 churches in total Virginia Cooperative Program gifts
First Baptist Church in Alexandria led churches affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia last year in contributions to the Virginia portion of the Cooperative Program. Rounding out the top 10 churches in total Virginia CP gifts were Beulah…
Georgia church votes to join BGAV
First Baptist Church of Rome, Ga., voted March 13 to join the Baptist General Association of Virginia. The church had earlier announced it was considering the move, which was endorsed by 95 percent of the congregational vote. The action followed…
Pitching in
Volunteer labor is making a reality out of a dream long held by Baptists in Southside Virginia to build a home for adults with developmental disabilities. Now the Virginia Baptist Children's Home and Family Services facility is well on its…
Words from the past: Like all state conventions, the BGAV is autonomous
Membership in the Baptist World Alliance is contingent on member bodies not being an integral part of any other Baptist denomination in their countries. That requirement posed no problem for Virginia in its quest to join the BWA even as…
BWA will vote on Virginia, Texas membership
By Robert Marus The Baptist General Association of Virginia and the Baptist General Convention of Texas will be recommended for full membership in the Baptist World Alliance, the group's membership committee reported March 9. British Baptist Alistair Brown, who sits…
Gay pride week clouds ties between Virginia Baptists, Averett
Ties between the Baptist General Association of Virginia and Averett University, already strained from a dispute last year over homosexuality, suffered another setback when one of the school's student organizations hosted a gay pride week on campus Feb. 21-26. The…
Uproar predicted if justices remove public Ten Commandments displays
If the U.S. Supreme Court prohibits public displays of the Ten Commandments nationwide, all heck may break loose. Religious conservatives predict the resulting furor would be greater than the reaction when a California court ruled “under God” did not belong…
Supreme Court hears Ten Commandments case
By Robert Marus The justices of the U.S. Supreme Court waded cautiously March 2 into one of the nation's most controversial issues: Whether, and how, governmental displays of the Ten Commandments can ever be constitutional. Hearing oral arguments in two…