BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (ABP) — Southern Baptist churches that have Woman's Missionary Union organizations support the denomination's missions programs at significantly higher levels than congregations without WMU, according to an analysis of reported church giving. Tensions over several issues surfaced in…
President Bush discusses faith in TV interview
WASHINGTON (ABP) — In a television interview broadcast Dec. 8, President Bush said he doesn't know if God wanted him to be president, doubts the Bible is literally true, agrees you can believe in God and evolution simultaneously and believes…
William Jenkins, long-time Virginia Baptist board staffer, dies at 85
William H. Jenkins, for more than 30 years a staff member of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board, died Dec. 10. He was 85. At the time of his death, Jenkins was living in Arizona, where he had moved after retiring…
Bush admnistration leaves mark on faith-based funding
WASHINGTON (ABP) — President Bush's administration and a host of court rulings have indelibly altered the way that the federal government relates to religious charities, according to an analysis by experts on the subject. “The heart — the core —…
Tough economic times don’t dim lights on Living Christmas Trees
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (ABP) — Rather than cutting back on lavish Christmas programs this year due to the economy, some church leaders insist hard times make them more valuable than ever. Billy Orton, minister of music and worship at First Baptist…
Oklahoma elects first Native American president
BROKEN ARROW, Okla. (BP) — Emerson Falls, pastor of Glorieta Baptist Church in Oklahoma City and a member of the Sac and Fox and Choctaw tribes, was elected as the first Native American president of the Baptist General Convention of…
Dollars and sense: Families struggle with financial stewardship
Money demands attention — particularly in challenging economic times. Rich or poor, people think about it daily, whether paying for a hamburger or praying for a job. Lives can change quickly and drastically as a result of a few critical…
IMB trustees hear cautionary financial news
HOUSTON (BP) — While celebrating the largest number of missionaries under appointment in recent years, trustees of the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board also heard some cautionary finance reports during their Nov. 10-11 meeting in Houston. The potential effects…
WorldCrafts gives hope to Afghan families
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — In the midst of Afghanistan — where armed conflict and oppressive poverty make every day a struggle for survival — some women and their families have found deliverance thanks to WorldCrafts. WorldCrafts, a fair trade nonprofit ministry…
News about Virginia Baptists and their ministries for Dec. 4, 2008
CHURCH NEWS • New Bridge Church, Sandston, broke ground for an addition to its fellowship hall on Nov. 23. The addition will include a music suite, prayer room, additional space for meetings and classrooms. When the project was proposed, an…
Whose birthday are we celebrating?
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — It's time to “Unplug the Christmas machine,” states a book with the same title by Jo Robinson and Jean Coppock Staeheli. And members of First Baptist Church in Jefferson City, Mo., are challenged to do just…
Supreme Court rules in favor of Virginia Baptist Homes’ Glebe
Ordinarily Halloween is not the holiday most associated with gift-giving, but for the trustees and administrators of the Virginia Baptist Homes it was like Christmas. On Oct. 31, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled in favor of VBH, ending a three-year…