WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — The pineapple has served as a universal symbol of hospitality and welcome for many centuries all over the world. It represents the warmth and style in which guests are welcomed into the home. This summer hundreds of…
Churches offer ‘Soul Food,’ encouragement to the unemployed
When people are in trouble following natural disasters, churches usually respond rapidly and generously. The disaster of chronic unemployment creates a different set of challenges, but some churches across the country provide models of ministry to people affected by economic…
If God made us for meaningful labor, what if we can’t find a job?
In an uncertain and unstable economy, how do Christians reconcile work as a reflection of the image of God in them with high unemployment and under-employment rates? Should believers reexamine what defines "meaningful" work? How do Christians reconcile faith issues…
Beyond immediate ministry, a call to address social inequities
While many churches reach out to meet the immediate needs of people who have lost jobs, Christians also are called to tackle underlying social issues related to employment and to partner with others to help make long-term changes, some ethicists…
Two lies for Labor Day: A transforming theology of work
I am a Christian because of the ministry of two "laymen." One was a mechanic, the other a salesman. When I was a teenager, they invited me to ride their bus to church. If they had not knocked on my…
Churches near quake’s epicenter left with cracked walls, broken glass
MINERAL, Va. — The rare East Coast earthquake Aug. 23 left two Baptist churches near the epicenter with cracked walls and broken glass, but no major damage, said spokespersons at each congregation. Mineral Baptist Church and Louisa Baptist Church —…
National Cathedral suffers ‘significant damage’ in quake
WASHINGTON (RNS) — The earthquake that rumbled up the East Coast from Virginia on Aug. 23 “significantly damaged” the central tower of Washington National Cathedral, shaking carved stone finials from atop the iconic church. The quake also left cracks in…
LifeWorks joins pieces for women in North Carolina’s mountains
CLYDE, N.C. (ABP) — Economic life is never easy in western North Carolina’s mountains and 70 percent of the poor are locked into “generational poverty” that holds them back like the concrete anchors on their mobile homes. At least the…
Ruby Fulbright to retire from North Carolina Woman’s Missionary Union
RALEIGN, N.C. (ABP) — Ruby Fulbright, executive director/treasurer of Woman’s Missionary Union of North Carolina, since May 1, 2002, will retire Dec. 31. Fulbright, who led the organization to make a dramatic break from the Baptist State Convention of…