Last week this column shared some of the history of Straightstone Baptist Church in Pittsylvania County. When the church recently celebrated its 200th anniversary, Rolen C. Bailey, a former pastor, was among those who returned to Straightstone. He served as…
Chaplain Service job seems made to order
When a prison inmate requests a special diet for religious reasons, is it really part of the inmate's faith? It's Randy Myers's job to find the answer. It's the kind of question Myers will grapple with in his new job…
ANOTHER VIEW: As U.S. tops 300 million, what about the church?
The population of the United States soared past 300 million in October, with no signs of declining anytime soon. Only two other countries contain more than 300 million people: China and India, with more than 1 billion each. Like those…
Virginians help dreams come true in African ministry
Nineteen volunteers from Community Heights Baptist Church of Cedar Bluff, Va., went to Kyela, Tanzania, for two weeks in July. Hundreds of churches take mission trips—what makes this one different is that it began 15 years ago. Pastor Allen Jessee…
Breakout sessions at BGAV to focus on RASNet
Five breakout sessions at this year's annual meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia will focus on the Ray and Ann Spence Network for Congregational Leadership, RASNet's director Bob Dale told Paige Peak, communications officer for the Virginia Baptist…
Evangelical Forum to hold 5th annual meeting
The Evangelical Forum will host its fifth annual meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 8, at the Green Run Baptist Church in Virginia Beach. The meeting is being held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Baptist General Association of Virginia….
New issue of Heritage Seekers is released
Sam Houston and Texas Baptists are featured in the new issue of Heritage Seekers, the magazine for children and families published by the Center for Baptist Heritage & Studies. The theme of this issue is on the spirit of individualism,…
N.J. court gives gays marriage rights, but not claim to name
The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled Oct. 25 that the state's constitution requires that marriage rights be available to same-sex couples on an equal basis with heterosexuals. But the court left state legislators to decide whether to refer to the…
ANOTHER VIEW: Forgive or die
Few recent tragedies have affected me as deeply as the horrific murders at the Amish schoolhouse in Lancaster County, Pa. It seems that each day brings more mayhem in our blood-soaked country. But this one–this image of 10 little girls…