The apostle Paul didn't know anything about Hezbollah or the Israeli defense ministry. But he did know something about hatred and hostility between irreconcilable people groups. And, more importantly, he knew something about the Kingdom of Christ. Everyone watching the…
South of the border
Several Virginia Baptists — including this columnist — found their way south of the border to Mexico City for the recent gathering of the Baptist World Alliance. In a sense, I once again was following in the footsteps of my…
ANOTHER VIEW: All noncombatants are equal
The Bush administration's failure to act decisively for peacemaking in the war in Lebanon sadly resembles its failure to act decisively for the poor in Katrina-destroyed Louisiana. Beirut deserves our nation's best efforts at restraining Israel's disproportionate and indiscriminate attacks…
Moving out
Lowell and Eileen Vaught drove their grandson, Jonathan, to Farmville on Tuesday, July 11. They had made the trip from Troy before, but this day held a special excitement. Jonathan would not be returning with his grandparents. He would remain…
Virginia college ministry seeks names of first-year students on campuses
If we suppose, for the sake of argument, that an average person's life span is 77 years, and if we were to look for the most pivotal points in that person's life, what would they be? Some would argue that…
Poplar Spring students can’t get enough of Impact Virginia!
The students of Poplar Springs Baptist Church in Richmond love Impact Virginia! — not only have they attended this mission-minded work camp for the past 10 years, this summer they decided one week at Impact wasn't enough. On Monday, June…
As U.S. missionaries are reported safe, Lebanese Baptists describe suffering
As United States Marines began evacuating Americans in earnest from a besieged Beirut July 19 and U.S. Baptist groups reported their missionaries in the region safe, a Lebanese Baptist leader said his people's suffering would seem “quite saddening and depressing”…
Virginia Baptists to send $8,000
The Virginia Baptist Mission Board is sending $8,000 to the Lebanese Baptist Society to use in the ministry to refugees fleeing the attacks in Lebanon. Jerry Jones, team leader for the board's glocal missions and evangelism team, approved the expenditure…
Arab Baptist help in Lebanon’s worsening humanitarian situation
Nabil Costa, executive director of the Lebanese Society for Education and Social Development, is reporting that Lebanese Baptists need medical care, medication, mattresses, hygiene items and clothing to help with thousands of refugees in their country. Both the Arab Baptist…
Christian Peacemaker Teams to send delegation to Hebron
(RNS) — The North American activist group Christian Peacemaker Teams, which lost a member to violence in Baghdad this year, is sending 12 delegates to the West Bank town of Hebron on July 26 for a short course on peacemaking….
Evangelical Christians meet to show support for Israel
(RNS) — With rockets still roaring between Israel and southern Lebanon, 3,500 evangelical Christians met in Washington July 18-19 in support of the Jewish nation. Backed by such prominent Christian conservatives as Jerry Falwell and John Hagee, the 5-month-old Christians…
For Baptists, libation debate continues in pages of Dallas Morning News
Two prominent players in the Southern Baptist Convention's debate over alcohol consumption have taken it to a new forum — a major secular newspaper. On July 15, the Dallas Morning News ran an essay by Daniel Akin, president of Southeastern…