So many current and former pastors and other church staff people have been in the news lately involved in sexual and financial scandals. What kind of background checks can a search committee legitimately implement to attempt to keep these kinds…
Preching the lectionary
As I began my sermon preparation for our Sunday worship service this week, I felt strongly led to read the Scriptures listed in the lectionary for the third Sunday in Lent. As I read all of the Old and New…
Does God protect some disaster victims but not others?
JACKSON, Tenn. (RNS) — As Kristen Fabrizio felt the vibrations preceding the tornado that ripped across the campus of Union University in Jackson, Tenn., last month, she clung to her friends, who in turn clung to their faith. “You can…
News about Virginia Baptists and their ministries for March 6, 2008
STAFF CHANGES • Timothy Corder, to Braddock Church, Alexandria, as pastor. • Linda Garrett,to Long Branch Church, The Plains, as pastor. • Roland McCraw, to Stone Mountain Church, Laurel Fork, as pastor. • Bill Rose,to Mill Creek Church, Lebanon, as…
Americans fluid in their religious affiliation, Pew study reveals
WASHINGTON (RNS) — A new study of more than 35,000 adult Americans by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life captures the depth and breadth of religious America — 78.4 percent Christian, 4.7 percent members of other faiths and…
Let’s get organized
Deserved or not, committees often have a negative connotation, said Don Simmons, owner of Creative Potential Consulting and Training. “The terminology and methodology is borrowed from government and corporate cultures,” Simmons said. “Committees have a reputation for long, boring meetings…
Questions linger on ‘born again’ support for Dems
WASHINGTON — A new poll that shows Sen. Hillary Clinton drawing a large percentage of “born-again” voters is giving her campaign something to trumpet, but is also prompting questions: Did the pollster define born-again too broadly? And if so, are…
News about Virginia Baptists and their ministries for February 21, 2008
STAFF CHANGES • Jonathan Hilliard, to Blairs Church, Blairs, as pastor, effective March 2. • Gregory Lee Hensley, to Glade Spring Church, Glade Spring, as pastor. • Chris Sorensen, to Union Chapel Church, Clarksville, as pastor. • Jonathan Geldmaker, to…
Bluefield moves forward with new campus center
BLUEFIELD — Bluefield College and the town of Bluefield are one step closer to breaking ground on a new multi-million dollar campus and community center. During a Feb. 15 press conference on the BC campus, leaders from both the town…