More an art than a science, matching a minister's skills with a church's needs has tested the limits of generations of pastoral search committees. And for Baptists — fiercely committed to local church autonomy and resistant to outside influences —…
New Baptist Covenant II to unite Baptists personally and virtually
ATLANTA (ABP) — In about two months, Baptists of many stripes will gather simultaneously in dozens of cities across the country for a unique virtual meeting, during which they will not only worship and learn but spread out to work…
Matching church and clergy methods differ by denomination
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — Matching clergy supply and demand is a chief concern for all denominations, but various church traditions address it in different ways. Hierarchical denominations like Episcopalians, Methodists and Lutherans view matching clergy and congregations as part of…
Strong belief in active God and free market closely linked, survey reveals
WACO, Texas — Milton Friedman, meet Rick Warren. Americans who strongly believe God has a plan for their lives are most likely to believe God guides the United States through a free market — and they want to see the…
Should ministers get second chances?
RICHMOND, Va. — When a minister gets fired, will a search committee automatically set his or her resume aside or give it a fair hearing? Many pastors who had to leave their churches discover search committees are reluctant to interview…
Southern Baptists consider sale of New Mexico conference center
GLORIETA, N.M. (ABP) — The Southern Baptist Convention is scaling back operations at Glorieta Conference Center and considering sale of the 2,100-acre campus near Santa Fe, N.M. Trustees of LifeWay Christian Resources voted recently to cut back from year-round operations…
Southern Baptist Convention considers name change
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — After 166 years as the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s second-largest religious body could be getting a new name. SBC President Bryant Wright announced Sept. 19 the appointment of a committee to study whether it is…
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship seeks search committee members
ATLANTA (ABP) — Elected leaders of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship are seeking names to consider for a search committee to recommend a replacement for the moderate Baptist organization’s retiring CEO. Daniel Vestal, executive coordinator of the Atlanta-based CBF since 1996,…
EDITORIAL: Aunt Ida celebrates recovery
Dear Jimmy, I don’t know what got into me. It all started about eight months ago. As I was passin’ by the television set there in the front room I had a notion to turn it off since there wasn’t…
TRENDING: New Zealand clues — Blending with the neighborhood
“Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10) After the Babylonian Exile, the people of God couldn’t simply re-install a ruling king. Israel was no longer large and in charge, the dominant…
VITAL SIGNS: Intervention
The award-winning reality show Intervention is about addiction and the extraordinary lengths it can take to face one’s unhealthy compulsions. Each episode chronicles the attempts by family members and friends to bring health to someone who is destroying their life….
OUT LOUD
“In our era of creeping moral relativism, one of the best contributions of Christians in American culture has been that some of us still believe in objective truth and real right and wrong. But that rigorous moral code was all…