“The day of working an 80-hour week must come to an end. The church does not own us.” Dean Coridan The president of the Iowa-Missouri conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church described what he tells ministers at workshops in encouraging…
Virginia church boosts Slavic ministry in western North Carolina
ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The sound sent chills. The youthful sound of American and Ukrainian teenagers voicing a worship song together — it brought tears, too. “It gave everybody chills because you felt real unity [of] Christians together,” said Mandy Allen,…
Faith changes little over a lifetime, research reveals
WASHINGTON (RNS)—Michele Dillon and Paul Wink have interviewed scores of septuagenarians about their faith—or lack thereof—and compared their answers to those they gave during their teens and middle age. What did they discover? People really don't change much over time—religiosity…
S3 to make a difference through discipleship
RICHMOND, Va. — Spiritual formation and making disciples is the focus of S3, Sunday School Summit 2007, to be held at the Eagle Eyrie Baptist Conference Center, Sept. 14-15. With the theme “Make a Difference — Change Lives,” the summit…
Most Muslims worldwide say suicide bombings unjustified
WASHINGTON (RNS)—George Bush and Osama bin Laden are both losing the battle for Muslim hearts and minds, a new report shows. The Pew Global Attitudes Project, a 47-nation survey, found that rising prosperity in the Islamic world has helped slash…
Women ministers’ progress: More theoretical than practical
WASHINGTON (ABP)—Moder-ate and progressive Baptists continue to grow in their theoretical support for women as pastors, but their churches remain far behind in practice. That's one conclusion from the second annual “State of Women in Baptist Life” report, released by…
Hate crimes bill delayed in Senate
WASHINGTON (ABP) — The Senate stalemate over the Iraq war claimed another victim July 18: a hate-crimes statute that supporters had hoped to attach to a defense bill. But although the attempt to add gender, sexual orientation and disability to…
‘Let the little children come — to worship
An increasing number of churches offer separate worship services for children, but that may not be what is best for either the children or the church, many children's ministry professionals agree. The faith formation of children is greatly enhanced by…
Court affirms religious obligation in case pitting sacred vs. secular
AUSTIN, Texas (RNS)—The Texas Supreme Court unanimously dismissed a suit brought by a former member of a Fort Worth church who accused her pastor of violating her confidentiality. The case centered on questions of what roles civil courts should have…