The foot soldiers of the 1770s who had fought and won the American Revolution were bereaved in 1799 when the news reached their towns and villages that their commander, George Washington, had died. Twenty or so years earlier they had…
VITAL SIGNS: The prophetic pastor
One of the most precarious tasks a preacher faces is that of being a prophet. The role of prophet is one that many ministers feel a deep ambivalence toward. All preachers know that relevant preaching must address the great issues…
OUT LOUD
“The story of evangelical theology is not so much getting someone saved and getting them to heaven, but it is Christ redeeming not only the individual person but all creation as well. You’re seeing a transformation of, or a maturity…
EDITORIAL: Pewboy asks the right questions about baptism
Long ago on a Sunday afternoon in early August, I gathered with other baptismal candidates, our families and our church family on the bank of Sandy Creek near Antonia, Mo. After singing a hymn, and shooing the cows we waded…
Contraception and abstinence not contradictory messages, Baylor researcher says
WACO, Texas — Teaching young people the importance of sexual abstinence outside of marriage and sharing information about contraception need not be seen as contradictory messages, a Baylor University researcher has concluded. Michael Sherr, director of doctoral studies at the…
BTSR’s School of Christian Ministry schedules online courses to start in May
RICHMOND, Va. — Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond School of Christian Ministry announces four online courses beginning May 24 for which continuing education units are available for both clergy and lay leaders. For more information contact the School of Christian…
Obama meets with Billy Graham
MONTREAT, N.C. (ABP) — President Obama met Billy Graham for the first time face-to-face April 25, making him the 12th consecutive U.S. president to meet with the famed Southern Baptist evangelist. Obama stopped by Graham's mountaintop home in Montreat, N.C.,…
Virginia Baptist Women in Ministry are told their voices can change the world
RICHMOND, Va. — There's a scene from the Oscar-winning film Precious — the story of a black teenager sexually abused by her father but trying to change her life by going to school — where she tells her class that…
Deep water dilemma: Can Baptists agree on baptism?
“Other denominations certainly have tended to see it [believer’s baptism by immersion] as what set Baptists apart. For centuries, it has been the most obvious answer to the question: What makes Baptists different?” said James Leo Garrett, distinguished professor emeritus…