SALEM, Va. — The lathe hums quietly as a HopeTree Academy student carefully passes a cutting tool to a small piece of wood. With a steady hand, patience, and gentle pressure, he soon coaxes a curved, elegant cylinder from a…
Linden Heights Baptist Church sponsors Praise in the Park
STAUNTON, Va. — Families from around the Shenandoah Valley and beyond flock to Gypsy Hill Park, a 214-acre park in the heart of downtown Staunton, on summer evenings. While some are there to walk or bike or swim, many arrive…
CBFVA’s mission boxes for Liberia will enable young minds to grow
RICHMOND, Va. — The temperature topped 100 degrees as the mission trailer of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Virginia pulled into the parking lot of Effort Baptist Church in Palmyra, Va., on June 9. Filled with 350 boxes packed by…
Roanoke Baptist walks to honor exceptional student and organ donor
ROAKOKE, Va. — For Shirley Young, finishing the race is part of keeping the faith. At 84, she’s walking in “Run With Grace” to honor a friend who died before she could finish her own races. Grace Lovegrove donated four…
WMU of North Carolina tackles poverty, other needs in mountains
AVERY COUNTY, N.C. — Woman’s Missionary Union of North Carolina volunteers and their families put their hands to service over the first week in June during a localized effort that modeled the national WMU MissionFEST/Family FEST. Ascending to Avery County…
AFA’s Bryan Fischer accuses SBC of pandering to gays, illegal aliens
TUPELO, Miss. (ABP) — A prominent conservative social activist has accused the Southern Baptist Convention of pandering to gays and illegal immigrants. Bryan Fischer, radio talk show host and spokesman for the American Family Association, commented in a blog that…
SBC resolution targets Sharia law
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — The Southern Baptist Convention’s top public-policy expert said June 18 that any imposition of Sharia law by courts in the United States would violate the Constitution. The president of the SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission…
International religious freedom envoy condemns religious intolerance
GENEVA (RNS) — The Obama administration's new envoy for international religious freedom told a U.N. commission that government, political, religious and business leaders must stand ready to condemn hateful ideology. Borrowing from recent headlines, Ambassador-at-Large Suzan Johnson ook cited a…
Southern Baptist Convention looks to minorities to jumpstart growth
PHOENIX (RNS) — The Southern Baptist Convention adopted a plan to try to boost minorities in their top leadership posts as the convention faces continuing reports of stagnant baptism rates and declining membership. Messengers to the annual meeting backed the…
Southern Seminary’s Mohler says Baptists must repent of homophobia
PHOENIX (ABP) — The president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary said June 15 that Southern Baptists need to repent of a “form of homophobia” that keeps gays and lesbians out of their churches. Albert Mohler responded during his report to…
OPINION: Keeping a ‘Keepers’ file
What do you do to restore order, hope or self-esteem when life gives you a kick in the stomach or on those days when you wonder if you’re really making a difference in the world? I know I should say…
Tim Tebow memoir details blessed life rooted in faith
DENVER (RNS) — Tim Tebow is a 23-year-old second-year, second-string quarterback on a so-so NFL team. So, who’s going to buy his memoirs? What’s to remember? • How his missionary dad, Bob, prayed for a son and promised God to…