In the middle of everyday life, how do we experience the holy? This was a question I’ve been pondering since a recent road trip to the quaint little town of Lancaster, Pa. I set out to visit Lancaster with…
Call people to follow Jesus, don’t pander to lowest values, Texan urges
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Ministers contribute to the decline of churches when they appeal to people’s lowest values of selfish consumerism rather than challenging them to follow Jesus, Rick McClatchy told a regional New Baptist Covenant II assembly. “As churches, we…
BWA leaders call African Baptists to ‘justice and deeds of mercy’
LAGOS, Nigeria — Baptists should engage in deeds of mercy and address justice issues and not merely verbally proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, two Baptist World Alliance staff members told Baptist leaders in Africa Nov. 15. BWA general Secretary…
Bluefield College celebrates Baptist heritage with speaker, hymns
BLUEFIELD, Va. — Bluefield College celebrated its history and culture with an annual Baptist Heritage Day ceremony in October, featuring a keynote address from Baptist historian Bill Leonard, founding dean of Wake Forest University Divinity School. For the 12th consecutive…
Since his death, Steve Jobs’ private spirituality now an open book
WASHINGTON (RNS) — He considered moving to a Zen monastery before shifting his sights to Silicon Valley, where he became a brash businessman. He preached about the dangers of desire but urged consumers to covet every new iPhone incarnation. “He…
At America’s religious campuses, atheist groups operate underground
DAYTON, Ohio (RNS) — Late one night over pizza, University of Dayton students Branden King and Nick Haynes discovered neither of them believed in God. Surely, they thought, they couldn’t be the only unbelievers at the Roman Catholic college. Last…
British Baptist newspaper to cease publication after 156 years
DIDCOT, England (ABP) — The Baptist Times, an award-winning newspaper published weekly for British Baptists for 156 years, will cease both print and digital editions at the end of the year. Bill Johnston, chairman of the Baptist Times board of…
NC Briefs
CBFNC distributing immigration documentary. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina is distributing free to all its affiliated churches DVDs of a documentary film on immigration issues. “Gospel Without Borders,” produced last August by the Baptist Center for Ethics, explores…
OPINION: Southern Baptists, change thy name
What's in a name? As Shakespeare has it, a rose by any other name smells the same. But in the case of America’s largest Protestant denomination, changing the name could change everything. Southern Baptist Convention President Bryant Wright recently told…
EDITORIAL: Fresh expressions of leadership
In past months, I have made it a point to read old issues of the Religious Herald dating from the Civil War era and before. Almost without exception, this has been an enlightening experience that has heightened the respect I…
HeraldBeat
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ASK THE ARCHITECT: Worship space theology
Last month I provided lots of meaty facts and figures to support the design of worship space. In many ways, however, I feel that I put the cart before the horse — for the place to begin in this discussion…