In the beginning the Baptist churches were collections of like-minded believers who primarily gathered in what they preferred to call “meeting houses” for worship and secondarily for sustaining fellowship with one another. They also extended Christian concern to the needy…
HeraldBeat
Transitions ON THE MOVE Rocky Sutphin, to Mount Hebron Baptist Church, Floyd, Va., as pastor. Andy Oliver, to Poplar Springs Baptist Church, Shelby, N.C., as pastor. Angela Yarber, to Wake Forest Baptist Church, Wake Forest, N.C., as pastor of preaching….
OPINION: Goodbye, Sears!
I am a member of that generation that remembers the big full-color Sears, Roebuck and Company catalog — especially the big Christmas “wish book.” When it arrived, everyone took their turns looking through it. Hardware, clothing, appliances, kitchenware, sporting goods,…
ASK THE ARCHITECT: Master plan components
Let’s wrap up this leg of our journey on master planning with a look at the specific components of a master plan. What are they? Over the course of the past several months we have been examining the technical criteria…
OPINION: The Baptists’ deal in 1776
This is a “Fourth of July article.” It is almost a speech. However, I am not going to ask you to celebrate the facts you already know — for example, about our country’s Revolutionary War and the fighting that went…
Patriotism, spiritual ties may pull Christians in opposite directions
RICHMOND, Va. — When war erupted between Russia and Georgia in 2008, repercussions included more than the 2,000 deaths and tens of thousands of refugees attributed to the conflict. Casualities also included relations between the two countries’ Baptist fellowships, torn…
OPINION: CBF’s next 20 years — A divinity student’s view
“College is where you learn that you have a particular past and that it doesn’t have to dictate your future.” These words, spoken by Bill Leonard during his baccalaureate address to graduates of Wake Forest University in the spring of…
Does the Star-Spangled Banner belong in the church sanctuary?
Christians should express love for country, experts on the intersection of Christianity and public life agree, but they advise caution in how churches demonstrate patriotism in worship settings. Patriotic music, flag displays, recognition of veterans’ sacrifice and reminders of “those…
Civil religion: lowest common denominator or common ground?
Some Baptists see civil religion as bland at best and idolatrous at worst. But others view broadly shared values of liberty, justice and acknowledgement of God’s providential care as a common ground Christians share with a majority of their fellow…
Baptists should understand, teach church-state separation
Because of their historic commitment to religious liberty and separation of church and state, Baptists have a responsibility to educate their fellow citizens what those concepts mean, church historian Jim Spivey said. “Separation of church from state does not mean…
OUT LOUD
“Your prayers should complement, not compete with, proper medical care.” Jeffrey S. Jones The Clackamas County (Ore.) circuit judge was addressing two members of an Oregon City faith-healing church as he sentenced them to 90 days in jail for failing…
VITAL SIGNS: Are you closed?
A friend recently shared with me an interesting story. When his church decided to replace its sign out front, it meant that the old one had to come down. For about a week, there was no sign in front of…