NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — God often works unexpectedly. “Finding Hope: A Field Trip of Faith,” the Vacation Bible School material produced by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, is a prime example. Available March 1, “Finding Hope” is being called “a unique…
CBF leaders join in CCT response to King’s jail letter
ATLANTA — Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Executive Coordinator Daniel Vestal and Moderator-elect Colleen Burroughs have issued a historic letter in response to Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” The statement responding to King’s letter emerged from the annual…
From the Eastern Shore to the Cumberland Gap
STAFF CHANGES • Robert Brown, to Black-stone Church, Blackstone, as pastor. • Ben Sturgis, to Orchard Drive Church, Bassett, as pastor. • Kevin Wirt, to Pleasant Hill Church, Daleville, as pastor. • Matthew McCraney, to Rock Hill Church, Stafford, as…
VIRGINIA BAPTIST FORUM: Protests dropping of Herald subscription
I would like to protest. Since 1975 I have been a member of BGAV churches. I am a retired pastor, a member of Story Creek Baptist Church in Franklin County. I protest having to pay for a copy of the…
BJC’s Walker recognized for advancing religious liberty
RICHMOND, Va. (ABP)—Baptist Joint Committee Executive Director J. Brent Walker was recognized Jan. 13 for his work advancing freedom of conscience and basic human rights for people of all faiths, traditions and cultures. Walker was named the Virginia First Freedom…
RIGHT or WRONG? Leave Christianity in the name of Christ
Novelist Anne Rice recently said, “I leave Christianity in the name of Christ.” Is it possible to remain faithful to Christ while leaving Christianity? Rice’s proclamation generated tremendous buzz, partially because of her notoriety and partially because such a statement…
Line between inspiration and insanity may be narrow, say professionals
SALT LAKE CITY (RNS) — A teenager says God appeared to him in a grove and told him to start a new Christian church. Another person claims the Almighty talks to him through the radio. A French girl gets messages…
Seminary gives association six months to vacate property
FORT WORTH — Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary notified Tarrant Baptist Association before Christmas it had six months to vacate its offices on the edge of the seminary campus. The seminary asserted the association was in violation of its affiliation agreement…
Mentoring offers ministry students an important support system
BROWNWOOD, Texas — While a seminary degree can be an important component of a pastor’s toolbox, relationships with other pastors can be just as important — if not more so, according to some Texas Baptists who work with students preparing…
FAITH DIGEST
Beliefs about human origins hold steady. Four in 10 Americans believe God created humans in something like their present form within the last 10,000 years, a recent Gallup Poll revealed. While that percentage represents a slight dip from 2008, when…
Academy for Spiritual Formation blends learning, discipline, community
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) — Growing up in a Baptist church and later working part-time as a youth minister, Johnny Sears always believed his faith had to go deeper than a set of beliefs or activities. “How do we take prayer…
Life coaching makes its way into churches
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (ABP) — Career coaching has been around in the business field for decades. More recently, it spun off a concept of life coaching. Now, the coaching concept is starting to make its impact in churches. Most experts credit…