HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (ABP) — While Baptists may not be able to claim sole credit as the originators of ideas such as religious liberty and the modern missionary movement, the denomination’s identification with common folk helped them become “popularizers” of these…
Historic Baptist ordination practices reveal a tangled web
Pragmatism and tradition have stood alongside biblical and theological principles in shaping Baptist ordination practices, church historian Karen Bullock told the B.H. Carroll Theological Institute colloquy. “The concept of ordination as practiced by Baptists today is a complex — even…
Book says SBC lacks system of preventing sexual abuse
AUSTIN, Texas (ABP) — A book released in advance of the June 23-24 annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention claims the nation's largest Protestant faith group has more than 100,000 clergy, but no effective system of denominational oversight to…
Baptism: Neither a means of obtaining grace nor a trivial ritual
By looking back to their beliefs and practices from the mid-18th century to the early 19th century, Baptists can reclaim a view of baptism between the poles of sacramentalism and “mere symbolism,” church historian and theologian Sheila Klopfer said. Historically,…
OUT LOUD
“A faithful pastor cannot preach the gospel to unbelievers, let alone exhort and, dare I say, rebuke, backslidden and unregenerate church members, while satisfying a politically correct standard of niceness. This is the sort of niceness we could do with…
Baptists urged to consider risks of ‘majoritarian faith’
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (ABP) — Baptists in the United States — who find themselves members of a religious majority or plurality in many areas — would do well to remember their humble beginnings as a persecuted minority and to reconsider the…
SECOND OPINION: Opening up without watering down
Baptist churches of the Old South had a lovely image for describing entrance into church membership. They would announce that a door of the church was open. Anyone who came forward was asked to give a verbal confession of “their…
What does it mean to be Baptist?
Some of the same theological disputes that divided Baptists throughout their first 400 years continue to distinguish different branches of the Baptist family tree in the early years of the 21st century, theologian James Leo Garrett said. And other challenges…
HERITAGE: Transitions
On the last Sunday of May, Bill Tuck was extended warm farewells as he concluded a 20-month interim pastorate at the First Baptist Church of Raleigh, N.C. The congregation formed a long line to give handshakes and hugs to Bill…
The Yoked Team updated May 27, 2009
Churches can become welcoming places to parents of children with learning differences
Parents of squirming children who cannot stay focused and who often end up labeled as “troublemakers” some-times feel isolated – and maybe even unwelcome in church. Author Maren Angellotti believes they are in good company. The parents of John the…
Parents look inward, not upward, for guidance
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) — Most American parents believe their parenting skills and family lives are pretty good, but they are reluctant to describe their homes as peaceful, relaxed or joyful. They say their daily family time consists mostly of eating…